


Dead Ever After- Rewrite

by G_Samoni



Category: Southern Vampire Mysteries - Charlaine Harris
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-30
Updated: 2018-01-25
Packaged: 2018-12-09 00:11:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 72,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11657580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/G_Samoni/pseuds/G_Samoni
Summary: Disclaimer: I don't own the story or the characters. They belong to the author Charlaine Harris. I am not making any profit from this. I am just borrowing them for fun.  If you have any questions or comments feel free to do so. I would like to know how the story is doing.As we know, CH HEA didn’t fulfill our dreams. It didn’t fulfill mine for sure. Therefore, in order to find closure and to please many friends who are struggling with the same problem, I am going to re-do the ending. There are several things that I think need to be addressed in order for the ending to feel natural. One of them is to rewrite several parts of Deadlocked where CH opens the doors for her horrible ending. Not everything will be rewritten, just the main points to make Sookie behave more into character (less bitch and more likable) and to make our Viking to keep his Alpha role (a position he deserves). Once things are settled, the story will depart away from the original storyline and new plots will be added (forget the last book in the series... as if it never existed!). No matter what happens, this story is for Sookie and Eric. The way the story should have ended, but didn't.





	1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own the story or the characters. They belong to the author Charlaine Harris. I am not making any profit from this. I am just borrowing them for fun. If you have any questions or comments feel free to do so. I would like to know how the story is doing.

As we know, CH HEA didn’t fulfill our dreams. It didn’t fulfill mine for sure. Therefore, in order to find closure and to please many friends who are struggling with the same problem, I am going to re-do the ending. There are several things that I think need to be addressed in order for the ending to feel natural. 

1\. One of them is to rewrite several parts of Deadlocked where CH opens the doors for her horrible ending. Not everything will be rewritten, just the main points to make Sookie behave more into character (less bitch and more likable) and to make our Viking to keep his Alpha role (a position he deserves). Once things are settled, the story will depart away from the original storyline and new plots will be added (forget the last book in the series... as if it never existed!). No matter what happens, this story is for Sookie and Eric. The way the story should have ended, but didn't. 

2\. I am going to do my best to tell the story in Sookie’s POV. I really hope that I can give her justice. My goal is to make it fun while we reach our happy ending.

3\. I will add some chapters with Eric’s POV… just for fun. I think that we should get a glimpse of what goes on inside his mind… and heart! 

4\. I don’t know how many chapters will take to reach the HEA ending. However, I promise to make the journey fun and entertaining. After all, this is what it’s all about… to have fun! 

5\. Feel free to write reviews and to comment on the chapters. I want to know if you are enjoying the story since this is the first time I write Fanfiction. Thank you in advanced for your eternal support. 

Deadlocked re-write

Chapter 1- 5

Summary: Sookie went to Hooligans for Ladies Only Night. She saw a lot fairies working there. In the morning Niall comes to visit her. After a talk between Niall, Dermot, Sookie and Claude about who put the spell on Dermot, Niall takes Claude to Faery to solve the mystery. Dermot is making renovations to the attic turning it into a bedroom. Mustapha Khan, Eric’s daytime guy, visits Sookie with a message from Eric, another one from Pam, and another one from him. I am posting the scene because it is an important message for Sookie and for the story: 

“Felipe de Castro is coming to Shreveport to talk about the disappearance of his buddy Victor.”

“Oh, shit,” I said. 

“Say it, Sookie. We’re in for it now.” He smiled. 

“That’s it? That’s the message?” 

“Eric would like you to come to Shreveport tomorrow night to greet Felipe.” 

“I won’t see Eric till then?” I could feel my face narrow in a suspicious squint. That didn’t suit me at all. The thin cracks in our relationship would only spread wider if we didn’t get to spend time together. 

“He has to get ready,” Mustapha said, shrugging. “I don’t know if he got to clean out his bathroom cabinets or change the sheets or what. ‘Has to get ready’ is what he told me.” 

“Right,” I said. “And that’s it? That’s the whole message?” 

Mustapha hesitated. “I got some other things to tell you, not from Eric. Two things.” He took off his sunglasses. His chocolate-chip eyes were downcast; Mustapha was not a happy camper.

“Okay, I’m ready.” I was biting the inside of my mouth. If Mustapha could be stoical about Felipe’s impending visit, I could, too. We were at great risk. We had both participated in the plan to trap Victor Madden, regent of the state of Louisiana, put in place by King Felipe of Nevada, and we had helped to kill Victor and his entourage. What was more, I was pretty sure Felipe de Castro suspected all this with a high degree of certainty. 

“First thing, from Pam.” “She says, ‘Tell Sookie that this is the hard time that will show what she is made of.’” 

I cocked my head. “No advice other than that? Not too helpful. I figured as much.” I’d pretty much assumed Felipe’s post-Victor visit would be a very touchy one. But that Pam would warn me … seemed a bit odd. 

“Harder than you know,” Mustapha said intently. 

I stared at him, waiting for more. 

Maddeningly, he did not elaborate. I knew better than to ask him to. “The other thing is from me,” he continued.

Only the fact that I’d had to control my face all my life kept me from giving him major Doubtful. Mustapha? Giving me advice? 

“I’m a lone wolf,” he said, by way of preamble. 

I nodded. He hadn’t affiliated with the Shreveport werewolves, all members of the Long Tooth pack. 

“When I first blew into Shreveport, I looked into joining. I even went to a pack gathering,” Mustapha said. 

It was the first chink I’d seen in his “I’m badass and I don’t need anyone” armor. I was startled that he’d even tried. Alcide Herveaux, the packleader in Shreveport, would have been glad to gain a strong wolf like Mustapha. 

“The reason I didn’t even consider it is because of Jannalynn,” he said. Jannalynn Hopper was Alcide’s enforcer. She was about as big as a wasp, and she had the same nature. 

“Because Jannalynn’s really tough and she would challenge someone as alpha as you?” I said.

He inclined his head. “She wouldn’t leave me standing. She would push and push until we fought.” 

“You think she could win? Over you.” I made it not quite a question. With Mustapha’s size advantage and his greater experience, I could not fathom why Mustapha had a doubt he would be the victor. 

He inclined his head again. “I do. Her spirit is big.” 

“She likes to feel in charge? She has to be the baddest bitch in the fight?” 

“I was in Hair of the Dog yesterday, early evening. Just to spend some time with the other Weres after I got through working for the vamps, get the smell of Eric’s house out of my nose … though we got a deader hanging around at the Hair, lately. Anyway, Jannalynn was talking to Alcide while she was serving him a drink. She knows you loaned Merlotte some money to keep his bar afloat.” 

I shifted in my chair, suddenly uneasy. “I’m a little surprised Sam told her, but I didn’t ask him to keep it a secret.” 

“I’m not so sure he did tell her. Jannalynn’s not above snooping when she thinks she ought to know something, and she doesn’t even think of it as snooping. She thinks of it as fact-gathering. Here’s the bottom line: Don’t cross that bitch. You’re on the borderline with her.” 

“Because I helped Sam? That doesn’t make any sense.” Though my sinking heart told me it did. 

“Doesn’t need to. You helped him when she couldn’t. And that galls her. You ever seen her when she’s got a mad on?” 

“I’ve seen her in action.” Sam always liked such challenging women. I could only conclude that she saved her softer, gentler side for him. 

“Then you know how she treats people she sees as a threat.” 

“I wonder why Alcide hasn’t picked Jannalynn as his first lady, or whatever the term is,” I said, just to veer away from the subject for a moment. “He made her pack enforcer, but I would have thought he would pick the strongest female wolf as his mate.” 

“She’d love that,” Mustapha said. “I can smell that on her. He can smell that on her. But she don’t love Alcide, and he don’t love her. She’s not the kind of woman he likes. He likes women his own age, women with a little curve to ’em. Women like you.” 

“But she told Alcide …” I had to stop, because I was hopelessly confused. “A few weeks ago, she advised Alcide he should try to seduce me,” I said awkwardly. “She thought I would be an asset to the pack.” 

“If you’re confused, think how Jannalynn’s feeling.” Mustapha’s face might have been carved in stone. “She’s got a relationship with Sam, but you were able to save him when she wasn’t. She halfway wants Alcide, but she knows he wanted you, too. She’s big in the pack, and she knows you have pack protection. You know what she can do to people who don’t.”

RECAP: After the conversation with Mustapha, she went to Merlottes and Jannalynn found Sookie and Sam working on the business taxes. Jannalynn was furious/jealous. Tara ate at Merlottes, and as always, she complained about her weight gain. Jason is planning to propose to Michelle. Sookie went home and got ready to see Eric and Felipe de Castro. Sookie met them at Eric's house where they were having a party. Felipe de Castro's guests destroyed Eric's furniture. Sookie found Eric feeding from a were female with fairy blood in her system. The woman left and Sookie was upset with Eric. The Were-woman was found dead in the front yard. Mustapha went MIA. They were taken to the police station for interrogation. They returned to Eric's house and Sookie spent the night in Eric's house. Eric apologized to Sookie for drinking from the other woman and they had sex. Next day Sookie went to her house and Mustapha was waiting for her. There she learned that Warren was missing which prompted her to suspect that whoever was holding him was forcing Mustapha to go against Eric. 

Well, it seems I summarized chapters 1-5 (121 pages) in about 1 page long. Now, I am going to re-write chapter 6 because I think this is where a few things happened that started setting things to go the wrong way. Chapter 6 will be our Chapter 1. Enjoy it. 

Chapter 1

It was dark when the phone finally rang and it was Eric. 

"Sookie, I'm on my way over to see you," Eric said. 

How can I disregard the fact that he drank from that woman. It was painful and uncomfortable to remember the incident. "No," I said. "I don't think so." 

There was a little silence and I think that my answer took Eric by surprise. "Is this a punishment for last night?" he asked. 

"No, it is not. But I don't know how I feel about that. I can't stop feeling contradicting feelings about the incident and I prefer not to talk about it tonight," I told him.

"You really don't want to see me tonight?" he asked with uncertainty in her voice. 

"No, not tonight. Is Bill still the Area Five investigator?" I asked changing the subject. 

"He is," he replied cautious. 

"Then he needs to get to work, don't you think? He could take Heidi with him, since she's supposed to be such a great tracker. How did Kym Rowe get past the guard? Unless someone bribed the guard-and it was a guy I didn't know-it's possible Kym came up from the gate at the back of your yard, right? Maybe Bill and Heidi could discover how she got there. Plus, I need to talk to Bill about something." 

"That's a good idea." He was thawing out. "None of my vampires would say a word," Eric said with absolute certainty. "Colton is still in the area, but Immanuel has gone to the West Coast. You would not tell anyone. Mustapha's friend Warren, who acted as our cleanup man ..." 

"None of them would speak. Warren wouldn't say boo to a goose if Mustapha didn't tell him to." I thought so, anyway. I didn't really know much about Warren, who wasn't big on talking. I was just about to tell Eric that Mustapha had appeared in my kitchen when he continued, "We should have taken care of Colton and Immanuel."

Did Eric mean the vampires should have killed the human survivors of that vicious brawl, even if they'd fought on Eric's side? Or was he simply implying he should have done a preemptive glamour, erasing their memories? I closed my eyes. I thought of my own humanity and vulnerability, though glamouring had never worked on me. However, after everything that has happened to me since I met the first vampire I learned to sometimes it's better to be safe than sorry. 

Time to change the subject to an important one that is keeping me mentally exhausted. "Do you know why Felipe is really here? Cause you know it's not because of Victor, or at least only partly because of Victor." 

"Don't discount his need to discipline me for Victor's death," Eric said. "But you're right, he's got another agenda. I realized that last night." Eric grew more guarded. 

"Or at least, I became surer of it." 

"So you already know this secret agenda, and you're not telling me." 

"We'll talk about it later." 

Of course I should have told him about Mustapha's visit, but I lost my patience. "Why is everything has to be later? I am tired of the vampire politics and the secrets that they hide." I hung up without giving him to opportunity to reply. I looked down at my hand, a bit stunned at my own action. Why is it that everybody's agenda doesn't include keeping Sookie safe? Maybe that is selfish of me, but right now Felipe's presence didn't give me good vibes. I wondered about Felipe's real reason to be here and I cringed. Nothing good can come up from that King. 

I sat down in the living room replaying my conversation with Eric. I wanted to see him but I wasn't going to give up this time. I was upset with Eric, but I was more upset with Felipe's situation. I grabbed today's newspaper hopping it would help me to put my thoughts elsewhere. I wished I had a cup of coffee with me to read it, but I didn't feel like making any at this moment. I gasped at the front page news. There, I discovered that Kym Rowe had been twenty-four, she had been from Minden, and (after looking at the picture of her accompanying the main article) I wasn't surprised to read she'd recently been fired from her job as an exotic dancer for assaulting a customer. 

The cause of Kym's death, according to the paper, had been a broken neck. Quick, quiet, requiring only strength and the element of surprise. That was why, even in that quiet neighborhood, no one had heard her scream ... not even Bill, with his vampire hearing. Or so he said. 

Kym Rowe, I discovered, had good reason to have a short temper. "Rowe was desperate for money. 'She was behind on her car payments, and her landlord was about to evict her,' Oscar Rowe, the victim's father, said. 'She was doing crazy things to earn money.'" That was the short and sad story of the life of Kym Rowe. One thing stood out: She'd had nothing to lose. 

Of course, much was made of the fact that she'd been found on the lawn of a "prominent vampire businessman and his party guests." Eric and his uninvited company were in for a hard time with the publicity machine. I turned to the inside page where the article continued. Kym's grieving parents were posed clutching a Bible and a bouquet of daisies, which they said had been Kym's favorite flower. Though I chided myself for my snobbishness, they didn't look like much. 

Before I could finish the article, the phone rang. I jumped about a foot. I'd been wondering if Eric would call back after he'd had enough time to get really angry with me, but the caller ID let me know my caller was Sam. "Hey," I said. 

"What happened last night?" he asked. "I just watched the Shreveport news." 

I gave him the condense version of the events and once again I remembered Eric drinking from that were. I didn't want to give him too many details because that was really Eric's and mine private life. 

"Do you know who did it?" 

"No," I said. "If I knew who'd killed her, I'd have told the cops last night." 

"Even if the killer was Eric?" 

That stopped me dead. "It would depend on the circumstances. Would you turn in Jannalynn?" 

There was a long silence. "It would depend on the circumstances," he said. 

"Jannalynn ... she's great, but I feel like I've bitten off more than I can chew some days." 

To say the least but I didn't dare to say it out loud. It surprised me that Sam was dating women that were rough and with masculine features. Maybe he liked rough sex. Maybe he was into BDSM. I shook my head to remove those thoughts. I really didn't want to have that image in my mind. I rather have the nice and sweet Sam image. Out of the sudden I decided to ask a question that has been bugging me for a long time now, "Do you tell her everything, Sam?" I wondered how much did other couples share. I needed some feedback. I'd had so few relationships. Shouldn't Eric and I confide on each other for everything? Or would that be a bad thing?

He hesitated. "No," he said, finally. "I don't. We haven't gotten to the 'I love you' stage yet, but even if we had ... no." 

"So it's not just me and Eric," I said confused. "Between us, Sam, I feel like Eric's not telling me some pretty important stuff." 

"What about the things you aren't telling him? Are those things important?" 

"Yeah, they are. Important, but not ... personal." I hadn't told Eric about Hunter, my little second cousin, being telepathic like me. I hadn't told Eric how worried I was about the concentration of the fae in Monroe. I'd tried filling Eric in on the fae situation, but it had been easy to tell that the politics of his own kind were at the top of his list these days. I couldn't blame him for that. 

"Sookie, you're okay, right? I don't know what you mean by 'not personal.' Everything that happens to you is personal." 

"By personal stuff ... things that are only about me and him. Like if I wasn't happy with the way he treated me, or if I thought he needed to be around more, or if he'd go with me to Jason and Michele's wedding. If I needed to talk about any of those things, I would. But I know pieces of information that affect other people, and I don't always tell him those things, because he has such a different perspective." I stopped listening to my own words and immediately I realized that I was voicing the things I wanted, but didn't have with Eric. I wanted him to go with me to Jason and Michele's wedding, I wanted for him to do human things with me, I wanted him to separate himself from the vampire politics for a while. Yet, I knew that with Felipe de Castro around, it would be difficult for me to get those things. What if he was not longer around? I smiled at the thought. 

"You know you can tell me, if you need to talk about something. You know I'll listen and I won't tell anyone." Sam said bringing me back from my thoughts. 

"I know that, Sam. You're the best friend I've got. And I hope you know I'm always ready to listen to anything you need to talk about. After all, that is what friends are for. Besides, I'm sure Eric and I will get back to normal when Felipe leaves ... when the boat stops rocking." 

"Maybe you will," he said. After we said the polite words we hanged up.

Dermot came in about half an hour later. Normally, my great-uncle was at least content in a low-keyed way. Tonight he wasn't even approaching happiness; he was actively worried. 

"What's up?" 

"Claude's absence is making them restless." 

"Because he has such charisma that he keeps them all in line." Claude had as much personality as a turnip. 

"Yes," Dermot said simply. "I know you don't feel Claude's charm. But when he's among his own people, they can see his strength and purpose." 

"We're talking about the guy who chose to stay among humans rather than go into Faery when it was closing." I just didn't get it. 

"Claude's told me two things about that," Dermot said, going to the refrigerator and pouring a glass of milk. "He said he knew the portals were closing, but he felt he couldn't leave without tying up his business affairs here, and he never imagined that Niall would really stick to his decision. On the whole, the gamble of staying here appealed to him more. But he told the others, all the assortment of fae at Hooligans, that Niall denied him entry." 

I noticed that Dermot was admitting, though not explicitly, that he didn't have the high opinion of Claude that the other fae did. "Why'd he tell two stories? Which do you believe?" 

Dermot shrugged. "Maybe both are true, more or less," he said. "I think Claude was reluctant to leave this human world. He's amassing money that could be working for him here while he's in Faery. He's been talking with lawyers about setting up a trust, or something like that. It would continue to earn him money even if he vanishes. That way if he wants to return to this world, he will be a rich man and able to live as he wants. And there are advantages, even when you live in Faery, to having financial assets here." 

"Like what?" 

Dermot looked surprised. 

"Like having the ability to buy things that aren't available in Faery," he said. "Like having the ability to make trips out here occasionally, to indulge in things that aren't ... acceptable in our own world." 

"Like what?" I asked again. 

"Some of us like human drugs and sex," Dermot said. "And some of us like human music very much. And human scientists have thought of some wonderful products that are very useful in our world." 

"But why can't you have it there? Don't you have those products there? 

"We have products made over there yes, but we also like humans' products and so far Niall doesn't allow us to bring them there." The more I heard, the more curious I felt. I wonder if I would ever be able to see it at least once. Would a part-human be allowed in Faery? Maybe I could ask my great grandfather next time I see him. 

"Why do you think Claude went with Niall?" I asked instead. 

"Niall is fond of you, so I think he wants to become secure in Niall's affection," Dermot said promptly. "And I think he wants to remind the rest of the fae world what an enticing option they have cut off, since Niall closed the portals and guards them so rigorously. But I don't know." He shrugged. "I'm his kinsman, so he has to shelter me and defend me. But he doesn't have to confide in me." 

"So he's still trying to have it both ways," I said. 

"Yes," Dermot said simply. "That's Claude." 

Just then there was a knock at the back door. Dermot raised his head and sniffed. "There's one of the troubles," he said, and went to answer it. Our caller was Bellenos the elf, whose needlelike inch-long teeth were terrifying when he smiled. I remember how he'd grinned when he'd presented me with the head of my enemy. Our new visitor had bloody hands. "What you been doing, Bellenos?" I asked, proud that my voice was so even. 

"I've been hunting, my fair one," he said, and gave me that scary grin. "I was complaining of being restless, and Dermot gave me leave to hunt in your woods. I had a wonderful time." 

"What did you catch?" 

"A deer," he said. "A full-grown doe." 

It wasn't hunting season, but I didn't mind them hunting a few ones. "Then I'm glad you took the opportunity," I said. 

"Some of the rest of us would like to hunt here, too," the elf suggested. 

"I am not sure if that would be a good idea, but I'm willing to give it a try. Long as that hunting was restricted to deer, and you stayed on my land. I don't want to get the neighbors' attention." 

"My kindred are getting restless," Bellenos said, in what was not quite a warning. "We would all like to get out of the club. We would all like to visit your woods, experience the peacefulness of your house." 

I wonder why they are feeling so peaceful in my land. Would it be because of the portal or because of the cluviel dor? A deep uneasiness feeling took over my chest. "I understand," I said, and offered him water. When he nodded, I poured a glass full of cold water from the pitcher in the refrigerator. He gulped it all down. Hunting deer in the dark with your bare hands was apparently thirsty work. After the water was gone, Bellenos asked if he could clean up, and I pointed out the hall bathroom and put out a towel. 

When the door was safely shut, I gave Dermot a look. 

"I know you have reason to be angry, Sookie," he said. He came closer and dropped his voice. "Bellenos is the most dangerous. If he gets tense and bored, bad things will happen. It seemed wisest to give him a safety valve. I hope you'll forgive me for granting him permission, since we're family." Dermot's big blue eyes, so like my brother's, looked at me imploringly. 

I wasn't too pleased, but Dermot's reasoning made all kinds of sense. The image of a repressed elf finally cutting loose on the people of Monroe was a picture I didn't want in my head. "I get what you're saying," I told him. "But if you ever want to let someone run free on my land again, check with me first. Remember that Bill lives across the cemetery and there are other vampires that usually come to visit uninvited. I don't want to have to explain to them the fairies presence or having to deal with a vampire accidentally draining one of them." 

"I will," he said. I wasn't convinced. Dermot was a lot of good things, but I couldn't see him as a strong or decisive leader. "They're tired of waiting," he said hopelessly. "I guess I am, too." 

"Would you leave for Faery?" I asked. I tried a smile. "Can you live without your HGTV and your Cheetos?" I wanted to ask my great-uncle if he could live without me, but that would be too pitiful. We'd gotten along without each other just fine for most of our lives-but there was no denying I was fond of him. 

"I love you," he said unexpectedly. "The happiest I've been in years is the time I've spent here with you, in this house. It's so peaceful." 

This was the second time in a few minutes that a fae had said my house was peaceful. My conscience stirred inside me. The clavier dor's magic must be stronger that I thought. 

Bellenos came out wrapped in a towel, holding out his bloody clothes. His pallor-and his freckles-extended all over. "Sister, can you wash these in your machine? I had only planned to scrub my face and arms, but I thought how good it would feel to be completely clean." 

As I took the stained clothes to the washer on the back porch, I was glad I'd taken Mr. Cataliades's warning to heart. If the cluviel dor had such influence when they couldn't even see it, didn't even know it was present, how much more would they want to touch it if they could? What would they do if I wouldn't give it up? A shiver ran down my body just contemplating the idea. 

After I'd started Bellenos's clothes on the cold cycle, I remained on the back porch looking out through the screen door at the night. The bugs were in full symphony. It was almost noisy enough to be annoying. I was glad all over again for the blessed invention of air-conditioning, even if the house was cooled by window units instead of central heat and air. I could close and lock my windows at night and keep the drone of the insects at bay ... and feel safe against the appearance of other things. One of those other things was strolling out of the trees right now. 

"Hey, Bill," I said quietly. 

"Sookie." He moved closer. Even when I knew he was there, I couldn't hear him. Vampires can be so quiet. 

"I guess you heard my visitor?" I said. 

"Yes. Found what was left of the deer. Elf?" 

"Bellenos. You've met him." 

"The guy who took the heads? Yeah. Dermot is home?" 

"He's here." 

"You really shouldn't be alone with Bellenos." Bill, a serious guy, sounded very grim indeed when he said this. 

"I don't intend to be. Dermot will take him back to Monroe, either tonight or tomorrow morning. Eric call you tonight?" Even though I wasn't intending to be alone with Bellenos, Bill's interrogation was annoying. 

"Yeah. I'm going to Shreveport in an hour. I'm meeting Heidi there." He hesitated for a moment. "I understand she still has a living relative." 

"Her son in Nevada. He's a drug addict, I believe." 

"To have living flesh of your flesh. It must be a very strange feeling to be able to talk to your immediate kin. This age of vampires is so much different from that when I was turned. I can hardly believe that I now know my great-great-great-grandchildren." 

Bill's maker had ordered him out of Bon Temps and even out of the state for a long time, so he wouldn't be recognized by his wife and children or his local acquaintances. That was the old way. Nowadays, things were different. 

I noted the wistfulness in his voice. "I don't think it's been very healthy for Heidi to keep in touch with her son," I said. "She's younger than he is, now, and ..." Then I shut up. The rest of the sad story was Heidi's to tell. 

"Several days ago, Danny Prideaux came to me to ask if he can be my daytime man," Bill said suddenly, the change of topic took me off guard. Was he hiding something and almost told me? 

I didn't make any comments and decided to go on with the conversation. That is when I realized that was Danny's big secret. "Huh. He already has a part-time job at the lumberyard." 

"With two jobs, he thinks he can ask his young woman to marry him." 

"Oh, wow! Danny's gonna ask Kennedy to marry him? That's wonderful. You know who he's dating? Kennedy, who works behind the bar at Merlotte's?" 

"The one who killed her boyfriend." Bill seemed displeased by this bit of information. 

"Bill, the guy was beating her. And she served her jail time. Not that you have any room to talk." I said giving him the look which he understood. "You hired him?" 

Bill looked a little abashed. "I agreed to a trial period. I don't have enough work for a full-time person, but it would be very pleasant to have a part-time helper. I wouldn't have to ask you for help all the time, which I'm sure is inconvenient for you." 

"I haven't minded making the occasional phone call," I said. "But I know you'd like to have someone you don't have to keep thanking. I wish Danny'd tell Kennedy what he's up to. Not knowing is making her have all kinds of bad thoughts about him." 

"If they're going to have a real relationship, she has to learn to trust him." Bill gave me an enigmatic look and melted back into the trees. 

Ouch, that was a straight forward comment to me. Regardless, my relationship with Eric is none of his business. I went back in the house and the kitchen was empty. Sounded like Bellenos and Dermot had gone upstairs to watch television; I caught the faint sound of a laugh track. I climbed halfway up the stairs, intending to suggest that Bellenos move his own clothes from the washer to the dryer, but I paused when I heard them talking during a commercial break. 

"It's called Two and a Half Men," Dermot was telling his guest. 

"I understand," Bellenos said. "Because the two brothers are grown, and the son isn't." 

"I think so," Dermot said. "Don't you think the son is useless?" 

"The half? Yes. At home, we'd eat him. Wither they prove to be worth to keep or they would be gone" Bellenos said. 

I turned right around, sure I could put the clothes into the dryer myself. "Sookie, did you need us?" Dermot called. I should have known he'd hear me. 

"Just tell Bellenos that I'm putting his clothes in the dryer, but he's responsible for getting them out. I think they'll be dry in ..." I made some hasty calculations. "Probably forty-five minutes. I'm going to bed now." Though I'd had the nap, I was beginning to drag. 

I barely waited to hear Dermot say, "He'll get them," before I hurried to the back porch to toss the wet clothes into the dryer. Then I went into my bedroom, shut the door, and locked it. 

If the rest of the fae were as casual about cannibalism as the elf, Claude couldn't come back soon enough to suit me. Would that be a reason for the shortage of fairies? If they would eat each other less, they would have an over population then. I shivered just thinking on many others like Bellenos hunting in my land.

I hope you enjoyed it. If you have any questions or comments feel free to do so.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Continuation...

I hope you enjoyed the previous chapter. I want to thank everybody who took the time to read the story. I am definitely enjoying this and I hope you’re enjoying it too. 

Disclaimer: I don’t own the story or the characters. They belong to the author Charlaine Harris. I am just borrowing them for fun. 

Chapter 2 

Cara Ambroselli called me first thing Monday morning, which was not a great way to start the week. "I need you to come to the station so I can ask a few more questions," she said, and she sounded so brisk and awake that I could easily dislike her. 

"I've told you everything I know," I said, trying to sound alert. 

"We're going over everything again," she said. "I know you're as anxious as we all are to find out who caused this poor woman's death." 

There was only one possible response. "I'll be there in a couple of hours," I said, trying not to sound sullen. "I'll have to ask my boss if I can be late to work." 

That really wasn't going to be an issue since I was scheduled to work the later shift, but I was grumpy enough to drag my heels. I did call Jason to tell him where I was going, because I think someone always needs to know where you are if you're going into a police station. 

"That's no good, Sis," he said. "You need a lawyer?" 

"No, but I'm taking a number with me just in case," I said. I looked at the front of the refrigerator until I spotted the "Osiecki and Hilburn" business card. "Jason maybe we can have dinner together soon?" I asked him hoping that he would say yes. Jason has grown a lot and maybe he could give me some advice about Eric. 

"Sure sis. Let me know when it's good with your working schedule. Can I bring Michelle?" he asked me and I could feel his anxiety building up. 

"How about this time we make it for only you and me, and next time we can plan it with her." 

He was silent for a few seconds, but eventually agreed. There was no way I could talk about Eric in front of Michelle. After a few pleasantries and a promised dinner date we hanged up. I made sure my cell phone was charged. Just to cover all kinds of crises, I put the cluviel dor into my purse. 

I drove to Shreveport mindlessly. My mind was definitely on Eric, Felipe, and this woman that got killed. I hadn't had anything to do with the death of Kym Rowe, but I'd been involved in sufficient bad stuff to make me nervous when I came under official scrutiny. 

Police stations are not happy places at the best of times. If you're a telepath with a guilty conscience, this unhappiness is just about doubled. I was so nervous that I was having a hard time keeping my telepathy under control. I could read everybody's mind here even though I really didn't want to; from guilty ones to accomplice to frustrated parents whose son got arrested for rape. 

It was a positive treat to see T-Rex come out of a door, apparently leaving the building. He glanced my way, kept moving, but did a double take. After a short conversation, I was ready to get this over with. 

Cara Ambroselli was a little dynamo. She asked me the same questions she'd asked me Saturday night, and I answered them the same way. She asked me a few new questions. "How long have you been dating Eric?" (He was no longer Mr. Northman, I noticed.) "Did you ever work in a strip club?" (That was an easy one.) "What about the men you live with?" 

"What about them?" 

"Doesn't Claude Crane own a strip club?" 

"Yeah," I said warily. "He does." 

"Did Kym Rowe ever work there?" I was taken aback. "I don't know," I said. 

"You call Crane your cousin." 

"Yeah, he is." 

"We got no record of him being related to you." 

It would be interesting to know what records they could possibly have about Claude, since he wasn't human. "He comes from an illegitimate birth," I said. "It's private family business." 

No matter how many times she asked questions about Claude, I stuck to my guns. She eventually gave in to my determination, since there was really no way she could link Kym to Claude to me. At least, I hoped that was the case. This was something else I needed to talk to Claude about, when he returns from Faery. 

I spotted Mike Coughlin, who was sitting a few desks away talking to Vince, the guy who'd watched the gate to Eric's community on Saturday night. I switched my attention to them, ignoring Ambroselli who was reading from several documents. I wasn't proud of snooping on other people's conversation, but this time I have an important motive. 

Coughlin had asked Vince why he'd been substituting for Dan Shelley the night of Eric's party. "Dan was sick," Vince said instantly. I could tell his mind was full of agitation, and I wondered what was so scary. "He asked me to sit in for him. Said it was easy work. I needed the money, so I said sure." 

"Did Dan tell you what was wrong with him?" Mike Coughlin was persistent and thorough, if not brilliant. 

"Sure, he said he'd had too much to drink. I'd keep that to myself, normally, but we're talking about murder here, and I don't want to get into trouble." 

Coughlin gave Vince a level stare. "I'm betting it was you called us to the scene," he said. "Why didn't you own up to it?" 

"We're not supposed to call the cops," Vince said. "Dan said the vamp tips him big to keep his mouth shut about his doings. The vamp, that is." 

"He's seen other girls in trouble?" There was an ominous undertone to Coughlin's voice. 

"No, no! Dan woulda called that in. No, the extra money was just to keep reporters and just plain snoopy people away who'd pay to know who visits a vampire. This vampire, Eric whatever, he didn't want his girlfriend to catch grief about staying over at his place." 

I hadn't known that. Eric has definitely done that for me. A knot formed in my throat and I tried hard to fight back my tears. He might not be perfect, but he's always taking care of me. I closed my eyes and remembered our good times; I wanted those moments back. I wanted my Eric. I knew about the blood lust, but it was not the same thing to "know" than to "see" him drinking from another woman. Was I jealous or offended? My feelings were not allowing me to think clearly, and as a consequence, I have been pushing him away. I didn't want to lose him as I would lose myself in the process. I loved him too much. 

Suddenly, I wanted to go Fangtasia and hug him. I wanted to feel him again with and without clothes. 

"I believe we are done for now. We will call you if we need you again." Ambroselli said bringing me back to reality. After some pleasantries, I left the police station and went straight to Merlottes. 

While I worked that night, I went over and over the events of Saturday at Eric's house. I served beers on autopilot. By the time I fell into bed, I found I couldn't remember any of the conversations I'd had with customers and co-workers. 

Tuesday was another black hole. Dermot came in and out without saying much. He didn't look happy; in fact, he looked anxious. When I asked him a question or two, he said, "The fae at the club, they're worried. They wonder why Claude left, when he'll return, what will happen to them when he does. They wish they had seen Niall." 

"I'm sorry about Niall's attitude," I said hesitantly. I didn't know if I should broach the subject or not. It had to be a painful one for Dermot, Niall's son, to be so pushed aside and disregarded. 

Dermot looked at me, his eyes as pathetic as a puppy's. 

"What's Faery like?" I asked, in a clumsy attempt to change the subject. 

"It's beautiful," he said immediately smiling. "The forests are bright green, and they stretch for hundreds of miles. They're dense and full of life. The shoreline is stony; no white sand beaches! But the ocean is green and clear.... The sun illuminates nature making it more alive. There is a rain forest that encompasses more than 30,000 acres of land. The peak itself is one of the highest in Faery, standing a little over 5,000 feet above sea level. Those that have climbed it say that the view is magnificent. I haven't done it, but I hope to have the opportunity to do it someday. It rains everyday in the top part of the forest, and that's where the largest waterfall in Faery starts. It is a four tiered waterfall; the most majestic view I have ever seen. On each of the top three tiers there is a small pool formed and fairies swim there. The last tier is for the daredevils because it's where the waterfall plunges violently. I don't know of any fairy who would dare to jump off the last tier." He stood, lost in the memories of his homeland. I wanted to ask a thousand questions, but I chose not to. 

He shook himself and gave me a bleak look. Then he turned to go upstairs, probably to seek consolation in House Hunters International. 

That night was notable only for what didn't happen. Eric didn't call me. I understood that his out-of-town company had the biggest claim on his time, but I felt almost as shoved aside and disregarded as Dermot. As far as I was concerned, the vampires of Shreveport weren't speaking to me, consulting me, or visiting me. Even Bill was conspicuously absent. Mustapha was presumably still searching for Warren. I missed Eric, badly. I kept playing in my mind Vince's words at the station. I knew that if Eric wasn't here was because something was happening, but I hated to be left out. I wanted to know what was going on. Maybe I could help him to get Felipe de Castro to leave town sooner rather than later. Yes, I was definitely missing him badly. 

I made a creditable effort to leap out of bed with enthusiasm the next morning. I was rested, and I had to go to work, no matter what was happening in the supernatural world. Not a creature was stirring, not even an elf. I ate some yogurt and granola and strawberries, drank some coffee, and put on some extra makeup since I was still feeling unhappy in general. I took a few minutes to paint my fingernails. A girl's gotta have a little color in her life. 

At the bustling post office, I used my key to empty the Merlotte's mailbox, which served Sam for both business and personal use. I riffled through the flyers that had been stuffed in the box and saw that the only bill worth worrying about was the electric bill. It soared in the summer, of course, since we had to keep the bar cool. I was almost scared to open it. I bit the bullet and slit the envelope. The total was bad, but not more than I expected. 

Terry Bellefleur pushed open the glass door while I was tossing unwanted mail into the trash. He looked good: more alert, not as skinny, maybe. There was a woman with him. When Terry stopped to speak to me, she smiled. She needed some dental work, but it was a good smile. 

"Sook, this here's Jimmie Kearney from Clarice," Terry said. "She raises Catahoulas, too." Terry loved his dogs, and he seemed to have overcome his bad luck with them. His latest bitch, Annie, had had her second litter of puppies. This time they'd been purebred. I'd heard Terry talk about Jimmie when he'd found a match for Annie, but I'd assumed Jimmie was a guy. She very much wasn't. 

"I'm pleased to meet you," I said. Jimmie was younger than Terry. I put her at about forty. There were streaks of gray in her long brown hair, which hung nearly down to her waist. She wore baggy khaki shorts with a ruffled white peasant blouse and huaraches. 

"I heard a lot about you," Jimmie said shyly. "You should come by Terry's and see the puppies. My Tombo is the daddy. They're just as cute as they can be. And we've got them all sold! We had to check out the homes they would go to, of course." 

"Good job," I said. I was getting the information from Jimmie's head that she was over at Terry's a lot of the time. A lot. Just in my little peek, Jimmie seemed like an okay person. Terry deserved someone really nice; he needed someone really, really stable. I hoped she was both. "Well, maybe I'll get a chance to see those puppies before they go to their new homes. I'm glad I got to meet you, Jimmie. Terry, talk to you later." 

Before I headed to the bar, I needed to check on Tara, who hadn't returned my calls. As if I called the devil, the phone rang with Tara's number in the calling ID. 

"Tara! I have been calling you forever! How have you been?" I asked concerned about her. She was very close to the due date and I was excited for her. 

"My water broke yesterday afternoon. I had my babies last night Sookie! They are keeping us here one more day and then we'll go home." 

I gasped at the news, "I am so excited for you Tara. Congratulations to both of you." 

"JB can't stop staring at them. It's unbelievable. We are very happy. I am calling everybody we know with the news so I have to hang up now, but we will chat more later with details Sookie." 

We hanged up and I was suddenly feeling very happy for her. Today it seems to be a good day after all. 

I went into Merlotte's feeling ridiculously happy. I just had time to put the mail on Sam's desk when Kennedy came in the employee door, and India was hard on her heels. Both of them looked pretty down in the mouth, but I wasn't having any of that. "Ladies," I said. "We are gonna have us a good day here."

"Sookie, I'd like to oblige, but my heart is breaking," Kennedy said pathetically. 

"Oh Kennedy, it is not! You just ask Danny to share with you, you tell him what a man he is and how you love his hot body, and he'll tell his heap big secret. You got no reason to be insecure. He thinks you're fabulous. He likes you more than his LeBaron." I smiled brightly already anxious for Danny to propose to Kennedy, but I wasn't going to spoil the surprise. 

Kennedy looked stunned, but after a moment a small smile flickered across her face. 

"India, you'll meet a woman who's worthy of you any day now, I just know it," I told India, who said, "Sookie, you are as full of bullshit as a cow is of milk." 

"Speaking of milk," I said, "we're going to hold hands and say a prayer for Tara, cause she's a new momma. Yesterday she had the babies." 

And that was what we did. 

It wasn't until I was halfway through my shift that I realized how much I envied Kennedy and Danny. They were together no matter what and I wanted the same with Eric. We were different in so many ways, but love should conquer those differences. Shouldn't it? 

Just as I was distracted with my Eric, Alcide came in. He'd clearly been working; there was a hard hat impression in his thick black hair, and he was sweaty and dirty like most of the men who came in at midday in the summer. Another Were was with him, a man who was just as glad to be in the air-conditioning. They breathed simultaneous sighs of relief when they sank into the chairs at a table in my section. 

Truthfully, I was surprised to see Alcide in Merlotte's. Our last conversation hadn't been exactly pleasant, and he'd never responded to the message I'd left on his cell phone. Maybe he was having a rough time too like Eric. It seemed that everybody was having a hard time lately. I went over with menus and a tentative smile. 

"You must have a job close to here," I said, by way of greeting. 

"We're getting ready for the new high school gym in Clarice," Alcide said. "We just finished. Sookie, this is Roy Hornby."

I nodded politely. "Roy, nice to meet you. What can I get for you-all to drink?" 

"Could we have a whole pitcher of sweet tea?" Roy asked. He gave off the strong mental signature of a werewolf. 

I said, "Sure, I'll just go get that." While I carried a cold pitcher and two glasses filled with ice over to the table, I wondered if the new people at AAA Accurate Surveys were all two-natured. I poured the first round of tea. It was gone in a few seconds. I refilled. 

"Damn, it's hot out there," Roy said. "You saved my life." Roy was medium: hair a medium brown, eyes a medium blue, height a moderate five foot ten, slim build. He did have great teeth and a winning smile, which he flashed at me now. "I think you know my girlfriend, Ms. Stackhouse." 

"Who would that be? Call me Sookie, by the way." 

"I date Palomino." 

I was so startled that I couldn't think of what to say. Then I had to scramble to get some words out. "She's sure a pretty young woman. I haven't gotten to know her real well, but I see her around." 

"Yeah, she works for your boyfriend, and she moonlights at the Trifecta." 

For a vampire and a Were to date was very unusual, practically a Romeo and Juliet situation. Roy must be a tolerant kind of guy. Funny, that wasn't the vibe he was giving off. Roy seemed like a conventional Were to me: tough, macho, strong-willed. 

There weren't many "granola" Weres. But Alcide, though not exactly beaming at Roy, wasn't scowling, either. 

I wondered what Roy thought of Palomino's nestmates, Rubio and Parker. I wondered if Roy knew Palomino had been part of the massacre at Fangtasia. Since Roy was a bit clearer to read than some Weres, I could tell he was thinking of Palomino going to a bar with him. Something clicked inside me, Palomino was the vampire going to the Were bar! I kept going on with my routing, serving the customers, hoping Roy and Alcide won't notice my worried face about Palomino. I wondered if Eric knew about Palomino's adventures. 

The next time I passed Alcide's table, Roy had gone to the men's room. Alcide reached out to ask me to pause. "Sookie," he said quietly, "I got your message. Nobody's seen Mustapha yet, and nobody's heard from him. Or his buddy Warren. What did he say to you?" 

"He gave me a message for you," I said. "You want to come outside for a second?" 

"Well, all right." Alcide rose and walked to the door, and I trailed after him. There was no one lingering in the parking lot on a day this hot. 

"I know you won't want to hear this, but he said Jannalynn was out to get me, and not to trust her," I said. 

Alcide's green eyes widened. "Jannalynn. He says she's untrustworthy." I raised my shoulders, let them drop. 

"I don't know how to take that, Sookie. Though she hasn't been herself for a few weeks, she's more than proved herself as my enforcer." Alcide looked both bewildered and irritated. "I'll think on what you've told me. In the meantime, I'm keeping my eyes and ears open, and you'll hear soon's I know something." 

"He wants you to call him," I said. "When you're alone. He put a lot of weight on that." 

"Thanks for passing along the message." 

Though that wasn't the same thing as telling me he'd place the call, I made myself smile at him as we went back inside. He resumed his seat as Roy returned to the table. "And now, what can I get you hungry guys for lunch?" 

Alcide and Roy ordered a basket of fried pickles and two hamburgers apiece. I turned in their order and made the rounds of my other tables. 

Alcide and Roy ate with the hearty appetites of men who've been working outside all morning-men who also happen to be werewolves-and they drank the whole pitcher of tea. They both looked happier when they were full, and Alcide made a big effort to catch my eye. I went over, smiling, "Can I get you-all anything else? Some dessert today?" I said. 

"I'm tight as a tick," Roy said. "Those were great hamburgers." 

"I'll tell Antoine you said so," I assured him. 

"Sam not here today?" Alcide said. 

"Sam is out at the moment, but he will be back later on in the afternoon. Kennedy is on the bar today," I said. 

"I bet Sam's with Jannalynn," Roy said, grinning significantly at me. I shrugged, tried to look politely indifferent. 

Alcide was looking off into the distance as if he were thinking about something else, but I knew he was thinking about me. Alcide was feeling kind of lucky that he'd never managed to clinch our relationship, because he figured there was something fishy going on between Jannalynn and me. Alcide didn't consider that he himself could be the bone of contention, since Jannalynn had told him she was going to propose to Sam, and I was Eric's girlfriend. But we two women clearly had issues, and he had to wonder how that would affect the pack, which had become the most important thing in the world to Alcide. His thoughts made me realize that I was part of his pack too, but I hadn't show interest on it. In truth, I have been too busy that adding the pack problems would just too much for me to handle. Alcide was a good man and a great leader like his father once was. The pack has become his family and I wondered if the vampires would consider me part of their family. That is, if such thing existed. 

"We do have issues," I told him while looking into his eyes "At least she does." Alcide looked startled but didn't elaborate. I could sense Roy was about to ask questions and I changed the topic without giving him the chance to speak, "How's the bar doing?" Hair of the Dog, the only Were bar in Shreveport, wasn't a tourist bar like Fangtasia. It was not exclusively for Weres, but for all the twoeys in the Shreveport area. "We seem to be pulling out of our slump, here." 

"It's doing good. Jannalynn is doing a great job of managing it," Alcide said. He hesitated for a moment. "I heard that those new bars were falling off some, the ones the new guy opened." 

"Yeah, I heard that, too," I said, trying not to sound too smug. 

"Whatever happened to that new guy?" Alcide said, keeping his words guarded. "That Victor?" Though the world knew about the existence of vampires and the two-natured, their infrastructure was not common knowledge. It would remain a secret if the supes had their way. Alcide took an elaborately casual sip of the remaining tea. "I haven't seen him around." 

"Me, either, for weeks," I said. I gave Alcide a very direct look, but I did my best not to out myself. The last think I needed is for that secret to come out. "Maybe he went back to Nevada." 

I dug inside Roy's mind, trying to find any evidence of his knowledge about Victor, but his mind was empty. I was glad that Palomino has kept her mouth shut. I am sure that Eric would make her disappear otherwise. 

"Your boyfriend doing well?" Alcide asked. 

I came back to the here and now. "Eric's always well." 

"Find out how that girl got into the house? The gal that got killed?" 

"Nothing yet. The police keep interrogating and investigating, but without any results yet." 

Alcide nodded and he didn't elaborate. He knew that Eric was a sensitive topic for me, especially now. 

I smiled at them and immediately changed the topic. "You-all don't want any dessert? Let me get your check." 

I grabbed the next table's payment on the way to the cashier. I processed their payment and returned to Alcide's table with their check. Alcide had pulled his wallet out of his pocket by the time I got back. They were working on a tight schedule on his project and he had to get back soon. 

Roy had gone to the bar to talk to one of the men who worked at the lumber mill. Apparently they'd gone to high school together. When I bent over to put the check by Alcide, I inhaled his scent. It was a little sad to remember how attractive I'd found him when I first met him, how I'd allowed myself to daydream that this handsome and hardworking man might be my soul mate. But it hadn't worked out then, and now it never would. Too much water had passed under that particular bridge. Alcide was getting deeper and deeper into his Were culture, and further and further away from the fairly normal human life he'd managed to live until his father's disastrous attempt to become packmaster. 

Yet, he deserves a good woman. One that will give him the stability he needs and the support within the pack too. I wished I could introduce him to one, but I knew fewer Were females than him. I know one thing for sure; whenever he finds that woman I'll be there to make sure she deserves him. 

He handed me some bills and told me he didn't need any change, and Roy slapped his buddy on the back and returned to the table, and they prepared to go back out into the heat of the day to drive to another job in Minden on their way back to the home office in Shreveport. 

After they left, I began to bus their table because I didn't have anything else to do. There were hardly any customers, and I figured D'Eriq was taking the opportunity to slip out back to have a smoke or listen to his iPod. 

My cell phone vibrated in my apron pocket, and it was Sam, calling from his cell. 

"What's up, boss?" I asked. "Everything's fine, here." 

"Good to know, but not why I called," he said. "Sookie, this morning Jannalynn and I went down to Splendide to make a payment on a table she's buying." Ah so Sam was with Jannalynn after all. 

"Okay," I said when Sam paused. "So, what's going on at Splendide?" 

"It got broken into last night," he said, sounding oddly hesitant. After a small pause he continued, "The things you sold to Brenda and Donald ... those things were dismantled on the spot, or taken." 

I pulled out a chair and sat down in it abruptly. It was lucky no one was waiting for service for the next few minutes while Sam told me everything he knew about the break-in. Nothing he told me was illuminating. A few little items that had been in the display cases had been grabbed, too. "I don't know if you sold them anything small or not," Sam said. 

"Was other stuff taken? Or just mine?" 

"I think enough else was gone to kind of camouflage that the targeted stuff had come from your attic," he said, very quietly. I knew other people were around him. "I just noticed because Brenda and Donald pointed out your pieces to show me how they'd cleaned them." 

"Thanks for letting me know," I said, strictly on autopilot. "I'll talk to you later, Sam." I shut my phone and kept to my seat for a moment, thinking furiously. That break in must be related to the cluviel dor. 

A few minutes passed, but I didn't know how many. I was too busy thinking about too many things. Movement at the bar distracted me and I saw Danny was talking so earnestly to Kennedy that I could tell he'd finally told her why he'd been out of her sight lately. She leaned across the bar and kissed him. At least that was good news.

I made myself get up to carry the bin of dirty dishes back to the kitchen. Behind me, the door swung open. I looked over my shoulder to check on the size of the party and got yet another surprise. 

Bellenos was standing in the doorway. I glanced around quickly, but no one-not that there were more than five people in the big room-seemed to be paying the elf any attention. They were not seeing the same creature I was seeing. I wonder who they did that. How could they look one way to my eyes, yet differently for the humans'? 

Bellenos looked very strange in regular human clothes. I have seen him in a sort of kilt and a one-shouldered T-shirt. He looked around Merlotte's, slowly and warily. When he didn't spot anything threatening, he glided over to me, his slanting dark eyes full of mischief. "Sister," he said. "How are you today?" He showed his needle teeth in a big smile. 

"I'm good," I said confused about this visit. "How're you?" 

"Happy to be out of that building in Monroe," he said. "I see you are not busy. Can we sit and talk?" 

"Yes," I said. "Let me clear this table." I cleaned it as fast as I could and sat down next to him. I wanted to talk as low as possible because I didn't want anybody to overhear our conversation. I also wanted to keep an eye on the few people in the room, just in case they needed something. 

In the fae way, Bellenos took my hand. I wanted to snatch it back, but there wasn't any point in offending him. I just hoped this was not going to end up in Eric's ears because it could turn ugly. His bones stood out so much that his hand hardly looked human-which, of course, it wasn't. It was pale, freckled, and very strong. 

Past his shoulder, I saw Kennedy glance our way. She shook a playful finger at me. She thought I was flirting with someone besides Eric. I gave her a stiff smile. 

"There are too many of us crowded under one roof at Hooligans," Bellenos said. 

I nodded. 

"Claude is a leader. Dermot is not." 

I nodded again, just to show I was following his conversation. He wasn't voicing any new ideas, so far. 

"If you have any means of reaching Niall, now is the time to make use of it." 

"I would if I could. I don't have any such secret." His slanting eyes were a bit disturbing close up. 

"Is that the truth?" An auburn eyebrow rose. 

"The truthful answer is that I really don't have any certain means of contacting Niall," I said flatly. "I'm not completely sure I would get in touch with him, if I had the ability." 

Bellenos nodded thoughtfully. "The fairy prince is capricious," he said. 

"That's for damn sure." Finally, we were in agreement. 

"I'm sorry that you can't help," Bellenos said. "I hope nothing worse happens." 

"Like what?" Dermott hasn't told me about anything bad going on there. 

"Like more fights breaking out." He shrugged. "Like one of us leaving the bar to have some fun amongst the humans." That didn't sound like a good idea. The last thing we needed was for fairies to come under the human eyes. There is enough drama with the Weres and the vamps. 

I suddenly remembered that Claude had brought me a letter from Niall, one he said he'd received through the portal in the woods. That was what he'd told me when he'd delivered the letter, if I was remembering correctly. "I could write a letter," I offered. "I don't know if it would reach him, but I can try." 

I was sure Bellenos would press me for details, but to my relief he said, "You had better try anything you can think of. You don't know me well, but I'm telling the truth in this matter." Suddenly I felt bad. I think that Bellenos has felt my skepticism towards him and he was offended, if that could be possible. 

"I don't doubt you," I said. "I'll do my best. And I have a question to ask you." 

He looked politely attentive. 

"A young woman, a woman at least part Were, came to my boyfriend's home a few nights ago," I said. "She was irresistible to him." 

"Did he kill her?" 

"No, but he drank from her, though normally he has very good self-control. I think this young woman was carrying a vial of fairy blood. She opened it when she got close to Eric to make herself attractive to him. She may even have drunk it herself so the blood would permeate her. Do you have any ideas about where the blood might have come from?" I regarded him steadily. 

"You want to know if she got the blood from one of us?" 

"I do." 

Bellenos said, "It's possible a fairy sold blood without knowing what it would be used for." 

I thought that was bullshit, but in the interests of getting an answer, I said, "Certainly." 

"I'll inquire," he said. "And you send the letter." 

Without further ado, he rose and glided out of the bar, receiving only a casual glance or two. I went back to the calendar to check, the one posted behind the bar. Danny had finally left to return to work, and Kennedy was actually singing to herself as she aimlessly shifted bottles and glasses around. She grinned at me as she "worked." 

I went back to work, refilling ketchup and whatever else was out, or barely used. The work load was light and I had to find something to keep me occupied. Suddenly, I remembered Jason so I sat in the back of the bar to call him. 

"Hey Jason! I hope I am not interrupting you at work," I said. 

"It is always good to take a break. Is everything alright? It's not for you to call me in the middle of the day." His worried tone smoothed my heart. 

"So far so good," I lied but I didn't want to worry him more. "What do you say about scheduling our dinner for tonight? " I asked hopeful that he would be willing to meet with me for one night without Michelle. 

"Sure Sook. I love the way you bake pecan pie, like grandma did. Do you want me to bring something?" 

I smiled at his smooth talking. Now I had to bake pecan pie for him. "No need to. Just come over hungry and in good spirits to talk to your sister" I said. I needed to talk to somebody. There were too many things going on around me. 

"Sure sis. You know I am always there for you" he said. After making arrangements with Jason I hanged up. Now I felt more anxious than before. Should I or should I not do it? 

I looked outside Merlottes and the hot sun was still bright, even though the afternoon was coming to an end. I wondered about Eric. Right now he was still dead to the world and soon he would be waking up. Would he miss me? His absence was silently killing me. 

One of our alcoholics, Jane Bodehouse, showed up around five o'clock. When she'd gotten cut from flying glass during the firebombing a few weeks before, Jane had gotten sewed up and had returned to the bar within twenty-four hours. For a few days, she got to enjoy painkillers and alcohol. I'd wondered if Jane's son might be angry that his mom had gotten hurt at Merlotte's, but as far as I could tell, the poor guy had only a mild regret that she'd survived. After the bombing, Jane had abandoned her barstool in favor of the table by the window where she'd been sitting when the bottle came through the window. It was like she'd enjoyed the excitement and was ready for another Molotov cocktail. 

I shook my head at my memories while I collected my purse and left the bar. I had a dinner to prepare for tonight.

Note: I hope you see our Sookie more back to herself and in character. I think the whole Tara having a baby storyline was not important, so it’s pretty much gone. I eliminated a lot of none sense fillers and tried to show her feelings for Eric. Reviews are more than welcome. Let me know your thoughts!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story continues....

I hope you enjoyed the previous chapter. I want to thank everybody who took the time to read the story. I am definitely enjoying this and I hope you’re enjoying it too. J 

Disclaimer: I am not the owner of these characters. The original story and the characters belong to Charlaine Harris. I am only borrowing them for a little while.

 **Chapter 3**  

Every story has two sides, and we need to know the other side for this one...  

Eric's POV 

"I'm free," I remembered those words as if it was today. The feeling of freedom was new, yet it took over my heart and my soul. It was liberating! I will never forget Ocella' death! Sookie killed him and I will forever be grateful for that. The freedom that I felt that night was unique and that power of free will was indescribable. That day, for the first time, I felt hope. But with my damn luck, hope had lasted only so long.  

I left to Shreveport that night, leaving Sookie with the promise of my return "I have to return to Shreveport to see about Pam, to arrange for the things I must do now that Ocella is dead. But as soon as I can, we'll be together again, and we'll make up for our lost time." Little did I know what was waiting for me in Shreveport.  

I met with Sookie after that day, but not in good terms. I wanted to keep her from finding out about Freyda, but Pam couldn't keep her mouth shut. Even after I commanded her not to tell her!  

How to explain to her that I have been trying my best to break the deal that Ocella made? I have been trying to get out of it, but Felipe de Castro have made it impossible.  

Victor took full advantage of his position and made his daily goal to make my life a living hell. His death was nothing but a relief. Curiously, Felipe felt the same. Even if he didn't voice it out loud.  

However, other things had come to the King's attention. While Victor's death was a relief for Felipe, but now he saw me as a threat.  

Of course the King wanted to know who had helped kill Victor because those involved would be tried as traitors to the crown. He really didn't care about Victor, but he had to keep appearances in front of his Sheriffs.  So far, he hasn't found any information, but for how long?  

Felipe de Castro and my maker have ruined my life once again. I was resigned to just live to the fullest the short moments that I get with Sookie. To live every minute as if it was the last. But my maker had made sure those moments were cut short. Only the gods know how much I hated him when he was alive. Now, I hated him even more. 

I heard footsteps and I knew who that was. I didn't need to see his stupid smile. I wanted to erase it off his face. He entered the room with much enthusiasm and I knew that it won't go well for me.  

"Well Eric, we are finished going through all of your assets. I must say that I am impressed of all the different accounts that you have, and the amount of money in them. I am thankful for your donations to the crown. I will make sure the money is well used."  

I opened my eyes and his smirk was the first thing I saw. A thousand different ways to kill him crossed my mind within seconds. I looked around and the same walls that have confined me for the last few nights were still here.  

The same old, plain brick walls. The only features that decorated the walls were my dried blood and the silver pins that held silver chains. Silver chains that now held me prisoner at his mercy.  

I strengthen up, as much as I could; trying not to pull on the chains. My hands were pulled apart until almost tearing my muscles. The silver burnt my skin, but I stared at Felipe de Castro's ridiculous attire to keep me from showing any pain on my face. His cape made him look like a cartoon from the medieval times and he definitely behaved like one.  

Suddenly, my senses were in full alert. My vision blurred, and it was then when one of Felipe's guards brought a human. The woman's mouth was covered with a black piece of cloth and her hands were tied with a piece of rope in front of her. Her face was dirty with tears and black makeup. The guard left the room leaving her here. 

My fangs were instantly out and I launched at her, full force, but the silver chains around my wrists held me in place. And they hurt. They hurt badly. I hissed from the pain and hunger.  

I could barely control myself; my body continued pulling forward towards the woman while the silver kept digging deeper into my skin with each pull. I risked to have my hands amputated, but I was too hungry. 

Felipe pulled her by her hair until she was in front of him.  

He looked at me with malevolence in his eyes. "I heard that you are on a special diet. Three nights going on four without feeding. Or is it four going on five? I think I lost track." He said while his free hand followed his ridiculous autocratic gestures.  

I growled out of hunger and anger; I had a strong desire to drain the human.  

He smiled at me and sank his fangs in the human's neck with extra force. The human struggled against him, but his hold kept her in place. All too soon, her body went limb and she fell on the floor. Dead.  

The last few drops of blood were still coming out of her ripped neck, and were piling on the floor. The smell took over my body. My mouth was too dry and my body hurt with hunger. I could picture myself tasting that blood. I wanted to taste her.  

The same guard entered the room again and dragged the body out. Her piled blood was still there. On the floor. Tempting me. My entire vision zoomed in on the blood while the room stopped existing for me.  

His non-welcome voice brought me out of the trance and my eyes were fixed on him. He cleaned his bloody mouth while speaking to me.  

"As I was saying before we were rudely interrupted with my meal... Now that the money subject is out of the way, we need to discuss other matters." He said while folding the bloody napkin and placing it inside his jacket's pocket.  

"You have been trying to disregard your maker's contract, and wish, of your marriage to the queen of Oklahoma. You know that any respectable vampire would honor his maker's last words. Unfortunately, now that your maker found his final death in your wife's hands, it is up to you and me to make sure his wish is fulfilled. Of course, in this case, you are not willing to do so... yet. This is why I made it my duty to help you prioritize your decisions.  

"There are many things that I shouldn't have to tell you since you already know them, but I feel the obligation to do so because it seems that you have forgotten. A marriage between two vampires has more value than one with a human, and unfortunately Mees Stekhuss falls into that category.  

"Freyda has graciously taken a like on you and for whatever reasons she wants you by her side. I understand that your age and experience are invaluable. Not to mention the power that comes with it. Personally, I know many others that would be better suitable for her, but who am I to refuse her wish.  

"It is up to me to decide whether this marriage takes place or to grant your freedom. Of course, if I do the later, then you could continue your marriage with Mees Stekhuss.  

"I find terribly offensive that you took Victor's life on your hands without my authorization. Not that I would ever authorize it anyway.  

"But the fact that you dared to make such decision, overpowering my word, is considered betrayal to your kingdom, punishable with the final death. You went to great pain planning against victor, and you were not alone. That sole information shows me that I am surrounded by traitors. I am willing to bet that your progeny was involved, but who else was part of it?" 

For the name of every God I have ever known, this man could talk! His need to be the center of attention boiled my almost dry blood inside my veins. But no matter what, I will never betray those that put their trust on me.  

"Nobody. I already told you everything I know. You are using Victor's death to punish me for it, even though you really didn't care for him. You knew what he was doing. Yet, you turned your head the other way and chose not to see." 

Felipe paced across the room, impatiently. "That was not the question I asked." He stopped across the room from me and smiled.  

"Phillip!" Felipe de Castro called and a vampire walked into the room. He stood in front of Felipe de Castro, waiting for his orders. "Mr. Northman is sleepy. Wake him up."  

Phillip walked out of the room at vampire speed and then returned with a bucket. Without wasting any time, he threw the contents on me. This time I closed my eyes and prepared myself for what was coming. The liquid burnt my opened flesh at first touch, and continue burning as it slid down my naked body, piling up at my feet. My body was on fire! I cringed my teeth and growled loud. They were growls of pain. Phillip left the room without saying a word. 

"Are you awake now Mr. Northman? The water mixed with silver should help you to stay awake." Felipe looked at me with a sadistic smile, enjoying the moment. I wanted to kill him. My mind was plotting a thousand different plans for his final death, and all of them were overdosed with pain. But there was one little inconvenience; all of my plans required me to be free.  

"Good. Let's continue with our conversation." He paced in front of me and continued talking, "As I was saying, it is up to me to either make you comply with your maker's decision or to free you from it. I see myself liking the idea of your permanent relocation to Arkansas. I ensure you that Mees Stekhuss will be protected. I will personally protect her." His smile told me all the things that he was planning to do to Sookie.  

I growled, angry at his statement. How could he fucking dare to threaten my wife! I pulled the chains to break them off the walls, but to no avail. That only hurt my wrists, muscles, and now my bared bones.  

"Let's go straight to the point Mr. Northman. Either you honor your maker's last wish or I would be forced to take over all of your assets which include your progeny, your wife, and all the vampires that report to you. Fangtasia, all of your houses, and your bank accounts are already mine. Would you like me to have Pam and Sookie too? Sookie can spend her days and nights with me. My house is big enough and so is my bed. I still don't understand your obsession over her. Maybe I should taste her and see what's the big deal with her. Think about it and we will talk tomorrow again."  

He left immediately, leaving me here for another day, week or who knows how long. One of us will have to give in, and that won't be me!

 **I hope you enjoyed it.**   **If you have any questions or comments feel free to do so. I would like to know if you're enjoying the story.**  


	4. Chapter 4

I hope you enjoyed the previous chapter. I want to thank everybody who took the time to read the story. I am definitely enjoying this and I hope you’re enjoying it too. J 

Disclaimer: I am not the owner of these characters. The original story and the characters belong to Charlaine Harris. I am only borrowing them for a little while.

 **Chapter 4**  

While Felipe de Castro was torturing the Viking, Sookie.... 

I stopped by the grocery store on my way home. I bought all the ingredients for dinner tonight, even for the pecan pie. I smile remembering my grandmother. It made me sad that I will never eat another one made by her, but she thought me how to make it, so at least I still have that.  

I went straight to the kitchen as soon as I got home. I got the oven going and then sat down to write the letter for Niall while dinner was cooking. I didn't know if this was going to work, but at least I'll try it.  

Dinner was almost ready, and after several writing attempts, I finally had a letter for Niall: 

_Dear Great-Grandfather and Claude,_

_Bellenos and Dermot are worried that the fae at Hooligans are getting too restless to stay confined to the building. They miss Claude and his leadership. We are all afraid something bad will happen if this situation doesn't change soon. Please let us know what's going on. Love, Sookie._

I wrote Niall's and Claude's name on the envelope, and sealed it. I ventured outside to drop it off. The heat was a killer, and the bugs were having a field day on my legs. The day was almost over but the day refused to cool down. I kept moving to keep them from draining me. Drops of sweat were already falling down my face and my hair was sticking on my neck.  

I sigh in relief when I found the little clearing where the portal was. I frown to its size. It was smaller than the last time I came here. Last time it had been large enough to squeeze in a human body, but not this time. 

Either the portal was shrinking naturally, or Niall resized it to prevent me from throwing more bodies into Faery.  

I knelt before the patch of wavery air, which hovered about knee-high just above the blackberry vines and grasses. I popped the letter into the quavering patch, and it vanished.  

I held my breath waiting for any sound or movement like the last time when I dropped the body, but nothing happened. Suddenly, I felt depressed with the deafening silence. Would I ever see Faery? Would I ever see my great-grandfather again?  

I stood up and smiled at my own silliness. Why am I so curious about Faery? I made my difficult way back through the woods. I could hardly wait to strip off these sweaty clothes and jump in the shower. Dinner will be ready and Jason will be here soon enough.  

At my arrival there were three uninvited visitors waiting for me. Two men and a woman. Now I regret not staying at the portal a few more minutes. They looked in the mid-forties and they were standing by a car getting ready to leave. Unfortunately, they saw me returning and that changed their plans.  

"Hello", said the olive-skinned brunette with raccoon eye makeup. She was wearing a low-cut T-shirt, dark green with gold studs as a decoration, and white shorts. Her bare legs were heavily tattooed. She took a drag on her cigarette. "You Sookie Stackhouse?" 

I stared at the trio and for some reason two of them looked familiar.  

"I am. And you are?"  

"We're the Rowes. I'm Georgene and this is Oscar. This man," and she pointed at the driver, "is Harp Powell."  

The man standing by the driver's door had coppery brown hair and a short beard, and he was wearing gold-rimmed glasses. He wore khakis and a pale blue oxford cloth shirt with the sleeves rolled up, practically a summertime white-collar work uniform.  

The other man was a real contrast. His jeans were stained, and his T-shirt said he liked pussies, with an oh-so-clever drawing of a Persian cat. Subtle, huh? I caught a whiff of otherness coming from him; he wasn't really human, but I didn't want to get any closer to investigate what his true nature might be.  

I could hear trouble coming from their brains.  

"I'm sorry?" I said. "Do I know you?"  

"Kym's parents," the woman said.  

And I regretted even more coming back to the house. I really got bad vibes from them. Their presence made me uncomfortable. This situation was giving me flashbacks. The Pelts. I shuddered just remembering them.  

"I'm sorry for your loss," I said. "But I'm not sure why you've come here."  

"You talked to our girl before she died," Oscar Rowe said. "We just wanted to know what was on her mind." 

The parents were sending mixed emotions and that made me curious. Instead of grief and regret, I was getting avid curiosity.  

I turned slightly to look at their companion. "And you, Mr. Powell? What's your role here?" I'd been aware of his intense observation.  

"I'm thinking of doing a book about Kym's life," Harp Powell said. "And her death." I could read his mind and his dark plan. He was thinking of writing a true-crime novel with pictures in the middle: Kym as a cute youngster, Kym in high school, Kym as a stripper, and maybe Kym as a corpse.  

Bringing the Rowes with him was a smart move. Who could turn down distraught parents? But I knew Georgene and Oscar weren't anywhere close to devastated. The Rowes were more curious than bereaved.  

"How long had it been since you saw her?" I asked Kym's mother.  

"Well, she was a grown-up girl. She left home after she graduated from high school," Georgene said reasonably. She had stepped toward the house as if she were waiting for me to open the back door. She dropped her cigarette on the gravel and ground it out with her platform sandal.  

"So, five years? Six?" I crossed my arms over my chest and looked at each of them in turn.  

"It had been a while," conceded Oscar Rowe. "Kym had her own living to make; we couldn't support her. She had to get out and hustle like the rest of us." He gave me a look that was supposed to say he knew I'd had to get out and hustle, too-we were all working people, here. All in the same boat.  

"I don't have anything to say about your daughter. I didn't even talk to her directly. I saw her for maybe five minutes."  

"Is it true your boyfriend was taking blood from her?" Harp Powell asked.  

"You can ask him that. But you'll have to go after dark, and he may not be too glad to see you." I smiled. Leave to Eric to scare the Jesus out of them. Maybe that would make them disappear.  

"Is it true that you live here with two male strippers?" Powell persisted. "Kym was a stripper," he added, as if that would somehow soften me up.  

"Who I live with is none of your business. You can leave now," I said, still smiling, I hoped very unpleasantly. "Or I'll call the sheriff, and he'll be here pretty quick."  

With that, I went inside and shut and locked the door. No point in standing out there listening to questions I wouldn't answer.  

The light on my phone was blinking. I turned the sound very low and pressed the button to play it. "Sister," said Bellenos, "no one here will admit to giving any blood to the girl who was killed, or giving blood to anyone at all. Either there's another fairy somewhere, or someone here is lying. I don't like either prospect." I hit the Delete button.  

I heard knocking at the back door, and I moved to where I couldn't be seen. Harp Powell knocked a few more times and slid his card under the porch door, but I didn't answer. They drove off after a couple of minutes.  

Though I was relieved to watch them go, the encounter left me depressed and shaken. Seen from the outside, did my life truly seem so tawdry? I lived with one male stripper. I did date a vampire. He had taken blood from Kym Rowe, right in front of me.  

Maybe he just wanted answers for his book, but I didn't want anybody to point out some facts about my depressing life.  

The oven's beep brought me back to reality and I rushed to take the food out. Pretty much everything was done and Jason would be here within thirty minutes. I left everything on the stove and rushed to take a quick shower.  

                                                                  ~~~ 

A quick shower was not enough to relax me. I should have taken a bubble bath or something to tame the anxiety.  

Within minutes, Jason arrived all hipper and ready for a nice meal. We sat in the kitchen table, and we said our prayers. He started devouring the food as if he had not eaten in days. I knew that Michelle cooked for him every day. I smiled at this. It felt good to have him here visiting.  

We ate silently for a little while. My mind was running a thousand times per minute debating to whether open up to Jason or not. I wanted to talk to somebody, but should that somebody be Jason? My heart was pumping really fast and my hands were sweating so much that I kept drying them off with the napkin.  

"You know Sookie, this food is delicious. You sure learned from our grandmother", Jason said with half of his mouth full with food.  

"And I believe that our grandmother thought you to not speak with the mouth full of food", I teased him.  

He smiled and once his mouth was empty he replied, "Yeah, I would have gotten a smack on my head for it. At least today I won't get any." 

I laughed at his reply. After a few seconds, I stopped and I realized that this was the first time I honestly smiled in a very long time.  

"Sook, I know you want to tell me something, but you are debating about it. Spill it out! It must not be that good when you are in so much doubt. Plus you have hardly touched your meal." 

Only Jason would notice such a simple detail. I smile at him nervously. I breathed deep and I spilled it all out.  

"Things are not going so well for me, and I really need an outsider's perspective. I feel as if I were in a rollercoaster going downhill without breaks. And I don't want it to crash, but I can't find a way to stop it either."  

"What do you mean Sook? Are you and the vamp having problems? I thought that you were going strong with him. You have lasted the longest with him, and he seemed into you." 

"Well, yes and no Jason." I took a deep breath and then continued, "I have done some things that I'm not proud of and I'm afraid of the consequences."  

Jason looked puzzled. "What have you done sis?" He asked without taking his eyes off me.  

"I broke the blood bond with Eric," I said looking down. "I shouldn't have done that. Now I miss it," I confessed. Wow, I have just confessed what I have been so afraid to say out loud. And it felt bad.  

Jason gasped and put the fork on the table. "So you guys are over then? You don't love him?" he asked incredulously.  

"That is the problem. I love him. I love him with all my heart. I wanted to break it to make sure that the feelings I had for him were not influenced by the bond. Amelia helped me out. Now that the bond is not there, I feel the same way for him. I am in love with him and it hurts me that the bond is not there anymore. I want to take that moment back, but I can't." I said sadly.  

Jason grabbed a napkin off the table and handled it to me. I looked at him puzzled, but he made his case clear "clean your tears sook". A shockwave traveled around my body at my sudden realization that I was crying. I was crying, and I couldn't stop the tears from coming down. 

"I assume Eric is pissed at you for breaking the bond, but if you explain to him he would understand. Besides, you can always ask him to create the bond again." Jason said trying to be optimistic. I looked at him and without waiting any longer, I went ahead and told him everything else, including about Freyda.  

Jason listened intently and didn't say a word. I cried my eyes out while I confessed to my sins. I didn't hold anything back. The moment I was done I felt as if a giant rock has been lifted off my chest. I could breathe better now.  

Jason remained silent. He lowered his head and continued eating in silence. A few minutes later he put the fork down again and looked at me without saying a word.  

"Oh for fuck sake just say it Jason!" I couldn't take the silence anymore.  

"Your life is pretty fucked up Sook. I'm sorry if I'm blunt, but shit. You need to sit down with Eric and talk about all of this shit with him. You can't continue moving on waiting for some magical spell to fix things," Jason said glaring at me.  

"Sook, lack of communication is the main problem! There won't be any relationship that will last if you don't communicate. Shit. Are you expecting him to read your mind Sook? No pun intended there. But how are you expecting him to know what's going on in your life if you keep secrets from him?" Jason shook his head as he drank his tea. 

"I'm sure that Eric has his secrets too and that is what is damaging the relationship Sook. If you are going to be with him, you must trust him with everything. If you can't, then get out of that relationship."  

I look down at the table listening to my brother's speech, and whether I liked it or not, he was right.  

"Sook, I'm no expert on relationships. Heck, you know that I fucked almost every woman in Bon Temps and the towns nearby. Singles, married, divorced, widowed. You name it. But with Michelle is different. I feel like I can trust her one hundred percent. It doesn't matter how bad my story is, she is there to listen. And she doesn't judge me."  

Oh shit! More tears streamed down my cheeks listening to Jason. I had this with Eric. I did. And I didn't know if I had it anymore.  

Jason handled me another napkin as he continued with his lecture, "if Eric is too proud to sit down and talk to you, then you do it! Grab the bull by the horns sis!"  

Suddenly, Jason started to raise his voice, "There is another problem I see here sis. Now you have some problems with him being a vampire. Let me tell you, you met him as a vampire and accepted him back then, so why the change of mind?" he breathed deeply trying to control his temper.  

"Sook, before you judge other people, you should look at yourself and me. You can read minds and that is something that nobody else can do. So you aren't all the way human. Now look at me. I shift on every full moon!"  

Jason was already steaming and pointing the finger against the table at each statement.  

"What the fuck? But you know what? Michelle accepts me just the way I am. She doesn't judge me. Can we have kids in the future? We don't know. I'm a were-panther now, so I don't know if I'm screwed up. But Michelle doesn't care! What if she gets pregnant, are we going to have kittens? We don't know, but Michelle will accept whatever happens. And do you know why Sook? Because she loves me. That's why. If you loved Eric the way you say you do, then you would not question his nature." 

I couldn't stop crying. I wanted to defend myself. Heck, argue against Jason. But I couldn't. I felt so guilty.  

"Jason, I'm having problems accepting myself as part fairy. I just wanted to be Sookie. A normal human living a normal life," I said between sobs.  

"Well sook, blame grandma them. She was the one that fell for a fairy to begin with. If she hadn't done that, then no fairy blood would be running in our veins. Well, your veins. Mine seems non important to the fairy community."  

"Jason"  

"No Sook. If you are going to point fingers then you must point your finger to me too. Your brother. Your blood."  

"Jason" 

"Don't Jason me! What is it Sook, are you looking down at me now that I'm a shifter? If so, you aren't any better than those that follow the Fellowship of the Sun group."  

Jason was fuming. I haven't seen him so angry before. And my heart hurt even more because he was right. I can't point my fingers against him, or me, or Eric. Oh Eric. I wish he was here right now. I would hug him and not let go. 

"I'm sorry Jason. I didn't mean to hurt you, and you are right. I can't do that. I must accept myself as part fairy and others for what they are. We all have the same rights."  

"You fix that shit, and then you must talk to Eric and fix that shit too. If you are going to be with him, you must accept him and his political world as part of yours. Your life isn't perfect, but he accepted you without asking questions. Heck, Eric accepted me as a dumbass human and now as a dumbass panther." 

Jason shook his head several times in disappointment. "I can't believe you Sook. Of all the people, you should know how it feels to be different. Remember when all the kids at school discriminated against you for being different? And even now!"  

Jason lifted his hands and brushed them against both sides of his head. He breathed deeply several times. I could tell he was angry at me and to no avail. I have been an idiot. I was an idiot.  

"I owe you an apology Jason" I murmured.  

"No. You owe Eric an apology," he said without a second thought.  

"Yes I do."  

"Yes you do."  

We remained silent for a few minutes, but they felt like an eternity. "Would you like some pie? I made it for you." I said breaking the long silence.  

He shook his head and remained silent. I went to the kitchen anyway and brought it to the table with a couple plates and spoons. He didn't eat it. He just sat there silently. The tension in the room was heavy. I could cut it with the knife.  

Jason stood up and walked to the door.  

"Jason?" 

"Sook, I need some time alone to think and to calm down. Besides, you have things to do too. Before I forget, I wanted to tell you that we are closing in on the wedding date. We are going to pin it down tonight. We are thinking in a couple of weeks. I'll give you more details some other day. Tonight is not a good night for it. I'll talk to Michelle for the wedding to be at night time so that you can bring Eric, your husband."  

I was shocked and speechless. I wanted to say so many things but nothing came out of my mouth. Jason left, and here I was, wanting to talk to Eric desperately. Maybe if I go to Fangtasia to see him? No. We need to talk in private and Fangtasia is not a good place for it. I need to plan this. I must see him soon before it's too late. I don't want to lose him.  

 

**NOTE: And here we go. This chapter is the one that separates the story from CH’s. I’m trying to get the old Sookie back to her senses. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. There are more chapters to come!  What do you think about the story so far? Are you enjoying it?**


	5. Chapter 5

I hope you enjoyed the previous chapter. I want to thank everybody who took the time to read the story. I am definitely enjoying this and I hope you’re enjoying it too. J 

Disclaimer: I am not the owner of these characters. The original story and the characters belong to Charlaine Harris. I am only borrowing them for a little while.

 **Chapter 5**  

**_While Sookie was having a heart to heart conversation with Jason..._ **

**ERIC’s POV** :

Two days has passed since the last time Felipe de Castro tortured me. Nobody has come here. I have been left alone, chained to the walls, and starving.  

If I fell to my dead sleep, then the chains would cut off my wrists. This was the reason I have kept myself barely awake during the daytime to prevent it. Growing them back would be a slow and painful process which I didn't wish to go through.  

However, tonight I woke up considering it as the only solution to get me out of here. Let the silver cut my wrists, and then I would go away until I grew them back. Afterwards, I would come back and fight Felipe de Castro. I didn't know what he would do while I was hiding growing my limbs, but that was a risk that I would have to take.  

I had a plan for tonight. Right before the sunrise l'll cut my wrists and escape from here.  

I won't be able to go too far away, but I could always dig up a hole and bury myself for a few days. All I needed was to feed. I'll survive. I could do this!  

I haven't fed in who knows how many days, but as soon as I get out of here I'll drain a few humans. That should help me recover maybe halfway. The thought made me hungrier and sad at the same time because I didn't like to kill unless it was necessary. This time, it was necessary.   

I looked down at my naked body and I could see the damage done to it. I was slowly deteriorating. The muscles were drying up. It was going to take me a while to heal back. Maybe that was what Felipe de Castro wanted; to turn me into a living mummy.  

Unable to walk, move, or defend myself.  

No. I couldn't let him do that to me. I would rather lose my limbs.  

I wondered what Pam has been doing in my absence. I knew she has been distressed because I could feel it through our bond. However, I have kept her from feeling what I was going through. She didn't even know my location. I didn't want her to lose control or to risk her life trying to find me. I needed her with a clear head and on the business. She knew I was a survivalist and that I'll find a way out of this.

However, today she was more distressed than the previous days. Her feelings were all over the place. Something was happening to her and I wasn't there to help her. I closed my eyes and prayed to whatever god was out there to help her.  

                                                                                  ~~~~~ 

It had been maybe a couple of hours, I think, and Pam continued sending me distressed feelings. I was growing impatient. I couldn't concentrate here. Maybe I should cut my wrists and escape from this place now. It wasn't sunrise yet and Felipe might still have his vampire guards in here. I didn't know if I could fight them under the physical state I was in.  

As time went by, Pam's signals grew stronger as if she was getting closer to me. I knew she couldn't sense me because I blocked the bond on my side. How could she be getting closer to me?  

I heard sounds on the distance followed by a few sets of steps a few seconds afterwards. Those steps were coming into the building or whatever this place was.  

And I felt Pam. She was actually here.  

I straighten up a little bit. I didn't want her to see me defeated. I didn't want her to see me like this.  

She wasn't alone. But the question was quickly answered as they entered the room. Felipe de Castro had brought her here.  

There were five male vampires holding her down and two of them had multiple visible injuries. I wanted to smile at the scene, but I didn't. Pam had been defending herself. She was a fierce fighter and I approved her actions.  

Pam looked scared. She looked at me and for a split of a second she was horrified by my appearance.  

"Eric" Pam said followed by a punch to her stomach by one of her holding guards. She was left breathless.  

A sudden realization hit me like a million volts lightening falling on my head. They wanted to torture Pam too. They wanted to do the same to her.  

No. I couldn't let them do this.  

"Your Majesty..." I started to say, but he cut me off immediately.  

"Silence Eric. I am a man of my word and I am here to prove it to you," he said as he waived his hand in his accustomed fashionable way. “An incentive to help you reconsider your choices,” Felipe de Castro said while he approached Pam, and then continued, “I know you killed Victor, even though you refuse to confess to it. I also know you did not act alone. I might not have the names of those involved yet, but I am fairly certain your child was involved. Victor was a complicated man, but he was part of my retinue. An attempt against him was an attempt against my throne. I cannot let that go unpunished.”

A guard opened a wooden box he was holding and Felipe de Castro grabbed some kind of tool from it. I couldn’t see it clearly. He then held it by its wooden handle and waved it my way. It was a saw with a hard toothed edge made out of silver.

Silver.

I started to panic. I had to think fast.

Felipe de Castro smiled his usual victory smile when he realized I knew about his plan. This was no longer a torture.  

Suddenly, they turned and left the room. All of them. Taking Pam with them.  

They went to a nearby room and I could hear the commotion.  

I had to break loose. I pushed my wrists against the silver chains to cut the bone. The pain was almost intolerable, but I had to get lose and somehow free Pam too. I didn't want them to do this to her.  

A few minutes had passed and the silver was still eating out the bones. 

Just a little bit more.  

I bit my tongue to prevent any involuntary screaming. Yet, out of nowhere, Pam scream echoed the room.  

Followed by another scream. And another one. And another one.  

For the first time in centuries, I was left immobile. I froze. My immobile heart jumped in accelerated pumps receiving Pam's feelings through our blood bond. She was in deep pain, scared, and pissed as hell.  

What the fuck were they doing to her? I panicked.  

Now I had more reasons to remove these silver chains off my wrists. I must help her.  

A few minutes had passed when Felipe de Castro entered the room with a smile plastered on his face. He was holding a piece of cloth on his hand. And it was bloody.  

He approached me while he kept his eyes on my wrists. Now he knew about my plan. Fuck.  

Without saying a word, he opened the bloody piece of cloth for my viewing. It held Pam's toes. All ten of them.  

If I had a beating heart, it would have stopped working. My blood left my body. At least, whatever blood I had left.  

I growled loud. My fangs were dying to rip his throat. My hands wanted to smash his head into thousands of tiny pieces.  

I hated him. With this, he has sealed his death. It could take me one day, a week, or a century, but I will be the one giving him his final death. The same goes to Freyda, fucking Queen of Oklahoma.  

"I believe I hold your attention now... don't I?" Felipe de Castro said with his sarcastic, thick Spanish accent. Bastard! 

"I will do it," I said without a second thought.  

Felipe de Castro tilted his head, looking at me as if I had grown a second head. He smiled in triumph.  

"I didn't hear you well Eric. What exactly is it that you will do?" Felipe de Castro mocked.  

"I will marry Freyda," I said looking at him straight into his eyes.  

Felipe de Castro's face was of a winner. He smiled showing me his fangs. He was beaming with happiness.  

After a few seconds, he recovered and looked at me straight into the eye. "Next time will be Sookie, and I don't believe a human can recover from missing limbs. Make sure to remember that."  

Felipe de Castro called one of his guards and within a second he was by his side. "Bring our friend Pam," the guard nodded and left. Two guards returned dragging her. She couldn't balance her body to a standing position. They dropped her on the floor, and Pam didn't look at me. 

"Free him" Felipe de Castro said, and the guards immediately removed the silver chains off me. I fell to the floor. My muscles betrayed me once again.  

I dragged my naked body towards Pam. Slowly.  

Two other guards entered the room with 2 humans and threw them on the floor. They were unconscious.  

"At least this small snack will help you to get on the way to recovery. In two nights I will visit you in Fangtasia, and we will finalize the contract of your marriage to Freyda."  

And with that, he was gone, followed by his guards.  

I dragged my unresponsive body across the floor towards the humans. The concrete floor scratched even further my open wounds and I hissed with excruciating pain.  A snail would be faster than me. I growled with frustration.  

Pam dragged herself faster, and with one smooth motion, she threw me one of the humans. I drained him without hesitation.  

The instant relief on my body felt amazing. My decaying muscles slowly started to come back to life. My broken bones started to heal back to their original position. They were not completely healed, but it was a start.  

Some left over silver residues from the bucket of infested water were still on my skin and they continue burning.  

I turned my gaze to Pam who was still not looking at me. I stood up, slowly. It took me a few seconds to recover the balance, and even though the bottom of my feet burnt when I stepped on the small puddles of the water with silver, that didn't stop me from going to Pam.  

I got on my knees, put my hands around her face, and push it up until her eyes met mine. Her face was stained with her bloody tears. "I am sorry Pam. This should have never happened to you."  

She gave me a small smile. "All I care is that you are well. I have been desperately looking for you. Felipe must die before I face my final death." She said without hesitation.  

I put my finger on her mouth to silence her, "not here" and she nodded. I spotted the piece of bloody cloth that held Pam's toes on the floor. I checked them out and luckily her toes were still there. I brought them to her, and with her help we try to put them in place the best we could. I grabbed the second human and brought it to Pam. "Drink. It will help to attach your toes instead of having to grow them back."  

She shook her head denying the feeding, "he cut them with the silver saw. My blood has been tainted. And you are weak Eric. You need your strength." She lifted her hands and cleaned my bloody face. I hadn't realized that I was crying.  

"No. I will survive this. You need to feed now. It's an order. I want your toes attached to your body." I growled at her and we started the glaring pissing contest, but I didn't back down. I didn't give her any other options. 

She sank her fangs on the human while I helped her to hold the toes in place. Instantly, a thin tissue started to form a link to the loose toes. I knew that this could go either way and I hoped this plan would work.  

She drained the human and threw it to the side. I held her on my arms, and with a lot of effort I lifted her. She leaned her head on my chest and hissed at the touch of my wet skin. Small particles of silver were still there. She looked at me, but we didn't say anything. I carried her out of that room and away from there. Far away where nobody could find us.  

 

 

 

**Note: I hope that you are enjoying Eric’s POV. The Viking is smart, and he will come up with a plan to save Pam, Sookie, and himself. So, hold on to your seats because this will turn into a bloody battle. Reviews are more than welcome. Let me know your thoughts!**


	6. Chapter 6

I hope you enjoyed the previous chapter. I want to thank everybody who took the time to read the story. I am definitely enjoying this and I hope you’re enjoying it too. J 

Disclaimer: I am not the owner of these characters. The original story and the characters belong to Charlaine Harris. I am only borrowing them for a little while.    

 **Chapter 6**  

\-----------------------------

**_While Eric and Pam are free and on their way to their hiding spot to heal, Sookie was…_ **

Two days have gone by since I last spoke to Jason. His words were still an echo in my head. I cried some more. It has been two days of crying and barely any sleep. Even Sam wanted to know why I have been in such a fool mood, but I was not ready to talk to him. I just worked and then went home to my lonely life.

Not even Jason had called to check on me. He was giving me the silent treatment. I hurt him without meaning to do it.

I realized how stupid, naïve and just plain snob I have been all this time.  

I wasn't even a human, yet I have been holding on to my humanity for years. I was part fairy and that made me a supernatural creature too. I just didn't see myself like that. I still don't see it, but it must my denial. Denial that I'm a supernatural creature. It has been two days and I was still coping with Jason's words. 

Thunder was starting to roll through the sky, and the sound of the rain broke the silence of the night. I sat down in the living room, but I didn't turn on the TV. I wanted to go to sleep, but my mind was working overtime tonight. I wasn't sure if talking to Jason had been a good idea or not because now I was more confused than before.  

There was one thing I was sure of... Eric.  

A knock at the back door brought me back to the present. I searched for any brain movement but there was an empty void. A vampire.  

My heart skipped a beat on the thought of Eric, but I soon realized that he would have called me before coming here. I walked to the back door and I saw Bubba standing under the rain. Lightening illuminated my backyard followed by a loud thunder.  

I opened to door and he came in, soak wet. "Bubba!" I said a little too happy to see him. Maybe he had a message from my Eric.  

"I come to tell you something," he said without a preamble. He sounded too serious and that got my immediate attention. 

"What's wrong?" I asked, trying not to sound too anxious.  

"She is coming to visit you," he said, taking my hand. His was cold and wet from the rain. The sensation was unpleasant, but I couldn't pull away. Bless his heart.  

As gently as I could, I said, "Who's coming, Bubba?" 

"Me," said a slightly accented voice from the darkness. The back door was still open, and I could see through the screen porch door. Since she was backlit by the security light, I could just perceive the outline of a woman standing in the pounding rain. The noise of it almost drowned out her voice. "I have come to talk. I'm Freyda."  

I was so completely off guard that I simply couldn't make myself speak.  

Bubba stood facing out into the darkness, standing right under the light in my bright kitchen, his dark hair drenched, his jowly face determined. I was touched to my core, and I was terrified for him.  

"I don't mean you harm, upon my word," she called. She turned her head slightly, and I could see her in profile. Straight nose, tight chin, high forehead.  

"Why would I believe you?" I asked.  

"Because Eric would hate me if I harmed you." She stepped up to the screen door. I could see her in the light, now. I thought, simply, Damn.  

Freyda was at least five foot ten. Even soaking wet, she was beautiful. I thought her hair would be a light brown when it was dry, and she had broad shoulders, lean hips, and cheekbones that could slice bread. She was wearing a tank top with nothing underneath, and a pair of shorts, which I found just weird. Legs that pale shouldn't be sticking out of shorts.  

"I need a promise that you won't harm Bubba, either," I said slowly, still not sure what I should do.  

"I so promise." She nodded. I wouldn't necessarily believe her, but she was close enough to the house that the magical wards Bellenos had laid would have flared if she'd meant me harm. At least, Bellenos had told me so.  

To my amazement-if I could be any more amazed-Bubba pulled a cell phone out of his pocket and hit a number on speed dial. I could hear a voice answer. Bubba described our situation, and I heard Thalia's voice say, "All right. Whatever happens, we know who's responsible. Be smart."  

"So we got a safety net," Bubba told me, and I patted his arm.  

"Good thinking," I said. "All right, Miss Freyda. Come on in."  

She stepped out of the downpour and dripped on my back porch. There were folded towels in the laundry basket on top of the dryer. She pulled one off the stack to dry her face and rub her dripping hair. I moved aside to let her enter the kitchen, and she took another towel and brought it with her. I didn't want our wet selves dripping all over my living room, so I gestured to the chairs around the table. "Please have a seat," I said, not letting my eyes leave her for a moment. "Do you want a drink?"  

"You mean synthetic blood," she said after a slight hesitation. "Yes, that would be nice. A sociable gesture."  

"I'm all about the gestures. Bubba, you, too?"  

"Yes, ma'am, I reckon so," he said.  

So I heated two bottles, got two matching glasses from the cabinet in case they were particular, and set these items before the vampires, who had settled at the table: Bubba with his back to the door, Freyda with her back to the sink. I took the end opposite Bubba, so I was sitting to the queen's left. I waited in silence while the vampires took polite sips of their drinks. Neither one used a glass.  

"You understand the situation," Freyda said.  

I was relieved she wasn't going to pussyfoot around. And she didn't sound angry or jealous. She sounded matter-of-fact. I felt something cold creep into my heart. "I believe so," I said, wanting to be crystal clear. "I'm not sure why you want to talk to me about it."  

She didn't comment. She seemed to be waiting for me to spell it out.  

"Eric's maker was in negotiations with you when he died, and those negotiations involved you taking Eric as a husband," I said.  

"Since I'm a queen and he's not a king, he'd be my consort," she said.  

I'd read a biography of Queen Victoria (and rented the movie), so I understood the term. I tried to think very hard before I said anything. "Okay," I said, and paused, getting all my conversational ducks in a row. "You know that Eric loves me, that he married me according to you-all's rules, and that I love him." Just getting the groundwork laid.  

She nodded, looking at me thoughtfully. Her eyes were large, tilted up a little, and dark brown. "I've heard that you have many hidden attributes. And of course, I see some that are not so hidden." She smiled slightly. "I'm not trying to insult you. It's a fact that you are a pretty human."  

Okeydokey. There was obviously another shoe to drop ... and Freyda tossed it right at me. "But you must see that I am beautiful, too," she told me. "And I am also rich. And though I've been a vampire only a hundred and fifty years, I've already become a queen. So I'm powerful. Unless I misread Eric ... and I've known many men, many ... he likes all those-attributes-very much." 

I nodded to show I was giving due weight to her words. "I know I'm not rich and powerful," I said. Impossible to deny. "But he does love me."  

"I am sure he thinks so," she said, still with that eerie calm. "And perhaps it's even true. But he won't forgo what I have to offer, regardless of what he may feel."  

I made myself think before I responded. Inhale. Exhale. "You seem certain the prospect of power will trump the love." I said the words with my own calm, but inside I was trying not to panic.  

"Yes, I'm certain." She let the edge of her surprise show. How could I ever doubt that she was right? I glanced at our silent companion. Sadness was weighing down Bubba's pale face as he looked at me. Bubba, too, thought she was right.  

"Then why did you bother to come here to meet me, Freyda?" I said, struggling to maintain my control. In my lap, below the table, my hands were clenched together painfully.  

"I wanted to know what he loved," she said. She examined me so closely that it was like getting an MRI. "I am pleased that he likes looks and intelligence. I am fairly sure that you are what you seem on the surface. You aren't arrogant or conniving."  

"Are you?" I was beginning to lose control.  

"As a queen, I can seem arrogant," she said. "And as a queen, occasionally I have to be conniving. I came up from nothing. The strongest vampires do, I have observed. I intend to hold on to my kingdom, Sookie Stackhouse. A strong consort would double my chances." Freyda picked up her glass of TrueBlood and took a swallow. She put it down with such delicacy that I didn't hear it touch the table. "I have seen Eric at this or that event for years. He's bold. He's intelligent. He's adapted to the modern world. And I hear he's amazing in bed. Is that true?"  

"Wouldn't you like to know" I said. She waited for me to say more.  

When it became apparent that Hell would freeze over before I would talk about Eric in bed, Freyda smiled faintly and continued. "When Appius Livius Ocella came through Oklahoma with his bumboy, I took the opportunity to open a discussion with him. Despite Eric's fine points, I observed that he also likes to give the appearance of being independent."  

"He is independent."  

"He's been content to be sheriff for a long time. Therefore, he enjoys being a big fish in a small pond. It's an illusion of independence, but one he seems to hold dear. I decided it would be well to have some hold over him to induce him to consider my offer seriously. So I made a bargain with Appius Livius Ocella. He didn't live to enjoy his half."  

Ocella's death didn't distress Freyda one little bit. At least we had one thing in common besides an Eric appreciation club.  

She had certainly studied Eric. She had him pegged.  

I wanted-desperately-to know if she'd already talked to Eric tonight. Eric had told me before that Freyda had been calling him weekly, but he'd given the impression that he'd been aloof in those conversations. Had they actually been negotiating one on one, long distance? Had they been meeting secretly? If I asked Freyda about this, she would know that Eric hadn't confided in me. I would expose the weakness in our relationship, and she would certainly pounce on it and hammer in a wedge to widen it. Damn Eric for being so reluctant to discuss the whole thing with me. Now I was at a real disadvantage.  

"Is there anything else you want to tell me? You've accomplished what you came for, I guess. You've seen me and gotten my measure." I regarded her steadily. "I'm not sure what you want from me tonight."  

"Pam is fond of you," she said, not answering me directly. "This one, too." She jerked her head at Bubba. "I don't know why, and I want to know."  

"She's kind," Bubba said immediately. "She smells good. She has good manners. And she's a good fighter, too."  

I smiled at the addled vampire. "Thank you, Bubba. You're a good friend to me."  

Freyda eyed the famous face as if she were mining secrets from it. She turned her gaze back to me. "Bill Compton still likes you despite the fact that you've rejected him," Freyda said quietly. "Even Thalia says you're tolerable. Bill and Eric have both been your lovers. There must be something to you besides the fairy blood. Frankly, I can barely detect your fairy heritage."  

"Most vamps don't get that until someone points it out to them," I agreed.  

She rose, taking me by surprise. I got up, too. The Queen of Oklahoma went to the back door. Just as I was sure this excruciating interview was at an end and she was on her way out, Freyda turned. "Is it true you killed Lorena Ball?" she asked, her voice cool and indifferent.  

"Yeah." My eyes didn't leave her. Now we were on very, very delicate ground. "Did you have anything to do with the death of Kym Rowe?"  

"I don't even know who that is," Freyda said. "But I'll find out. Did you also kill Bruno, Victor's second?"  

I didn't say anything. I returned her look.  

She shook her head, as if she could hardly believe it. "And a shapeshifter or two?" she asked.  

In Debbie Pelt's case, I'd used a shotgun. Not the same thing as hand-to-hand combat. I lifted one shoulder slightly, which she could take as she chose.  

"What about fairies?" she said, smiling slightly, apparently at how ridiculous a question she was asking me.  

"Yeah," I said without elaborating. "Right outside this house, as a matter of fact." I took a deep breath and continued, "When I was with Bill, Lorena got in my way. Now that I'm with Eric, Ocella got in my way. I believe that love always wins," I jumped in the pond without verifying its depth, but I smiled not showing her my fears.  

Her rich brown eyes narrowed. Clearly, Freyda read between my lines and was having second thoughts about something. I hoped those thoughts weren't about whether to let me live, but I was pretty sure she was considering how much of a threat I represented. If she did me in right now, she would have the luxury of apologizing to Eric after the fact. Warning bells were clanging too loudly for me to ignore.  

I'm about to ruin my reputation for good manners, I thought. "Freyda, I rescind your invitation," I said. Then Freyda was gone, the screen door slamming shut behind her. She vanished into the pelting rain and darkness as quickly as she'd arrived. I might have seen a shadow crossing the beam of the security light; that was all.  

Freyda might not have intended to harm me when she arrived, but I was pretty sure my wards would clang if she tried to cross them now.  

I started shivering and couldn't stop. Though the rain had lowered the temperature a bit, it was still a June night in Louisiana; but I shivered and shook until I had to sit down again. Bubba was as spooked as I was. He sat down at the table, but he fidgeted and kept looking out the windows until I thought I would snap at him. He speed-dialed Thalia again and said, "Freyda's gone. Miss Sookie is okay."  

Eventually, Bubba gulped down the rest of the synthetic blood. He put his bottle by the sink and washed Freyda's out, as if he could remove her visit that way. Still standing, he turned to me with sad eyes. "Is Eric going to leave here with that woman? Would Mr. Bill have to go with him?" Bill was a great favorite of Bubba's.  

I looked up at the deficient vampire. The vacancy of his face detracted a bit from his looks, but he had a genuine sweetness that never failed to touch me. I put my arms around him, and we hugged.  

"I don't think Bill is part of the deal," I said. "I'm pretty sure he'll stay right where he is. She just wants Eric."  

I'd loved two vampires. Bill had broken my heart. Maybe Eric was on the way to doing that same thing, but hell will freeze if I let him go without a fight.  

"Will Eric go with her to Oklahoma? Who would be sheriff? Whose girlfriend would you be then?"  

"I doubt that he'll go with her, and I won't let him," I said. We remained silent for a few seconds then something clicked in me and I felt my blood pressure dropping fast. 

"Bubba, why did you call Thalia and not Pam or Eric?" I asked curious and scared at the same time. 

"Eric has been missing for a few days and Pam is looking for him."  

And my world just ended. "Eric has been missing?" I repeated while chewing the news. I have been here, waiting for his call and he has been missing all this time?  

Panic started to take in my chest, "Whose running Fangtasia?"  

"Pam left Thalia in charge, but King Felipe has been there in and out every night." 

Bubba just gave me a big hint without even realizing it. Felipe de Castro must be behind Eric's disappearance. And Freyda too. Otherwise, she wouldn't have dared to come to my house. She could do something to me and Eric wouldn't be around to help me.  

Freyda wanted to meet me. Well, now she will meet the real me. "Bubba, we need to find Eric."  

Bubba nodded, then looked to the horizon. The sun was about to come up. I wanted to tell Bubba to stay here in the hidey hole, but he ran out of my house without giving me the chance to say a word.  

I looked at the sun make its appearance. Eric must be in his dead sleep now. Somewhere. But where?  

I must go to sleep now because tonight I'm going to look for Eric; for as long as it takes.

 

**I hope that you’re enjoying the story. I kept most of the conversation between Sookie and Freyda same as in the book. There are some points that I changed. The ending, of course has to fit this FF story. Join me and Sookie on the search for Eric, and the removal of Freyda off their lives. Love must conquer no matter what! Reviews are more than welcome. Let me know your thoughts!**


	7. Chapter 7

I hope you enjoyed the previous chapter. I want to thank everybody who took the time to read the story. I am definitely enjoying this and I hope you’re enjoying it too. J  

Disclaimer: I am not the owner of these characters. The original story and the characters belong to Charlaine Harris. I am only borrowing them for a little while.    

 **Chapter 7**  

\-----------------------------

**Eric’s POV**

I had to stop by to get blood and clothes a few minutes after leaving the warehouse where Felipe de Castro had kept me prisoner. Even though I was flying, somebody could have spotted us and that wouldn’t have gone well. Plus, I was really struggling carrying Pam with me.

First, the weather was not in our favor tonight. It had been storming and the sky was not opening anytime soon. Lightning was a threat that we vampires took seriously. We were lighting magnets due to our vampirism. However, we had to take our chances tonight.

We flew over a house in the middle of a large property without neighbors nearby. That was the perfect setting to feed and get clothes without getting human’s attention. As we stood by the front door, I could hear the sound of only one person in the house. With the sunrise fast approaching, we didn’t have that many choices.

The surprised face of the old lady when she opened the door was priceless. To her credit, she recovered fairly quickly as she conveniently ignored the burns, cuts, and bruises. Instead, she concentrated on scanning my naked body up and down, multiple times.

“You’re 40 years late, young man,” she said with a big smile on her face.

I had to smile back. She was wicked. “I wonder if I could borrow some clothes. I think my current situation would get too much attention if I’m seen by humans,” I told her.

“Aren’t you cold? You poor thing. I have some clothes that belong to my son who is now living a few hours from here. He used them when he came to visit last time, but it’s been long,” she spoke as her eyes continued harassing my body.

“I truly appreciate your gesture ma’am. May we come in?” I asked her and she immediately stepped aside “yes you may,” and waved her hand for us to enter. Truly, the lady barely looked at Pam’s way. Her eyes were too busy performing a microscopic anatomy test on me.

“Would you like to take a shower first?” the enthusiastic lady asked.

“I would take you on your offer, but the sunrise is upon us and we need to get home,” I replied.

“Well, in that case, follow me,” she said. “I have to go up slowly because of my acute arthritis on my joints,” she apologized. We walked up the stairs slowly and then turned to the second door on the left. She produced a pair of long blue jeans and a blue t-shirt from the drawers. “He didn’t leave a pair of underwear, but even if he did, I doubt you could fit all of you in it.”

I smiled showing her the tip of my fangs at the frisky lady. “This is more than enough. Your kindness and generosity is much appreciated. It will not go unnoticed,” I replied to her while I got dressed as quickly as I could without startling her. We then went down the stairs, slowly. Pam was sitting on the couch waiting for our return.

I wanted to drink from her just to get enough energy until we found another human, but her heartbeats told me that she had some kind of a heart condition and her heart was a ticking bomb. Her advanced aged body wouldn’t survive it.

“We must leave now. Again, thank you for your help,” I repeated myself as we walked towards the front door.

“I don’t agree with those Fellowship of the Sun guys. In the eyes of God we are all equal,” she said and I could tell she was being honest.

“Thank you ma’am,” I replied. I took Pam up in my arms and off we went into the air.

While the lighting had stopped, the dark clouds promised more to come. We finally reached my house, the one that nobody knew about it with the exception of my children, Pam and Karin. It was located in an upscale subdivision outside the city limits.

I called Karin two days ago through our bond and she arrived last night, an hour before we did. She waited for us in the back porch, and her facial expression when she saw us told me everything I needed to know about our current physical condition. At least I was dressed.

I placed Pam on the living room sofa; it was imperative for her to not walk to complete the reattachment process. I was pleased to find that Karin had fetched two humans for us.

They stood still. Their red faces full of rage were a big temptation to my hunger. Their pulsating aorta called for my attention.

“Damned demons. You are an abomination to nature,” one of them said.

“God will banish your soul from His house and we will help Him to clean up earth,” guys number two said.   

“Where did you find them,” I asked Karin while I approached the humans.

“Inside a Fellowship church at a nearby town,” she shrugged.

“Consider this my contribution to the environment,” I smiled at them as my fangs elongated. The horror in their faces was priceless.

We stored their bodies in the garage for later disposal and went for our dead sleep.

“You need to feed from me. That will stop the silver poisoning your blood,” I told Pam.

“Master, you need your strength. She can feed on me,” Karin said.

“My blood is older and stronger. It will help her recuperate faster,” I stated.

“You can feed her tomorrow. Tonight, you need your strength,” Karin argued.

“Your wellbeing comes first,” I looked at Pam and Karin and then continued, “I will heal in my sleep. Pam got tortured worse than me. It should have been me, not her,” the guilty feeling was consuming me.

“No sense. The best way to punish you was through me. The minute Felipe de Castro finds out about Karin, he will use her against you too,” Pam stated.

“We will see about that,” Karin said.

“For now, feed on me and then let’s go to sleep. Tomorrow will be another day,” I commanded. Pam drank from me and Karin didn’t protest again; she was a woman of a few words. The sunrise was upon us and we needed time to pull ourselves together for our upcoming ordeal.

                                                                 ~~~~~~~

The sunset was here and I woke up slower than usual. My recovery was almost complete, but not Pam’s. Hers was going to take at least a couple of weeks. I went to check on Pam who was sharing the guest room with Karin. Karin was awake while Pam was still dead to the world. It worried me that she was still sleeping, but I knew that her body needed it for the healing. Her skin was already looking better.  

I called for Pam to wake up, but it took her almost thirty more minutes to come back from the dead. When she woke up, she was slightly disoriented at first, but that was normal after the silver poisoning.

“Drink,” I told her and she took the wrist without questioning me. Once she was done, I gently pushed her back to sleep, “sleep more,” I commanded her while I tucked her in her blanket. She closed her eyes and was once again dead to the world.

I heard the back door and I went to see that Karin had two more humans for me.

“More friends?” I asked her.

“I found them leaving a restaurant,” she replied.

Same as the yesterday’s humans, these have been compelled to not move or scream. The two women mewled, terrified of what was going to happen to them.

I fed from them, but didn’t kill them. My body was definitely feeling better, but was not completely recovered. I went back to sleep too while Karin took the humans back to where ever she found them.

Tomorrow I’ll have to meet Felipe de Castro and Freyda for the wedding contract. I couldn’t wait to see Sookie, but right now, it was not appropriate. Sleep slowly took over me again as I planned how to get rid of that wedding contract, Freyda, and Felipe de Castro.  

 

 **Note** : Note: I hope you're enjoying the story. Eric needs our support now more than ever. Felipe de Castro and Freyda are threatening our beloved couple. What could he do to fix this problem? Stay tuned for the upcoming chapters! Love must conquer no matter what! Reviews are more than welcome. Let me know your thoughts!  


	8. Chapter 8

I hope you enjoyed the previous chapter. I want to thank everybody who took the time to read the story. I am definitely enjoying this and I hope you’re enjoying it too. J  

Disclaimer: I am not the owner of these characters. The original story and the characters belong to Charlaine Harris. I am only borrowing them for a little while.    

 **Chapter 8**  

\-----------------------------

**_While Eric and Pam were dead to the world healing… Sookie was…_ **

I slept only four hours and woke up to a summer day that mocked me with its beauty. The downpour had washed everything, cooled the air, and renewed the green of the grass and the trees. The delicate pink of the old crepe myrtle was unfurling. The cannas would be open soon. I felt like Hell hungover. 

But today was bad enough and I could think of nothing to look forward to. Somehow I had to pull out of this state of unhappiness. I couldn't struggle through many days like this. 

I tried to think of another good thing to anticipate. Tara would be coming home from the hospital today, and I should cook a meal for her, but there was no time. Tonight I had to find Eric.  

I thought about my day today and I was already dreading it, but I must keep my mind occupied until night time. Today was going to be a long day for sure.  

First, I checked the news on the computer, but no arrest had been made in Kym Rowe's murder. Detective Ambroselli said, "The police are not close to an arrest, but we're pursuing several leads. Meanwhile, if anyone saw anything in the Clearwater Cove area that night, please call our hotline." So, it would be interesting to hear if Bill and Heidi had found out anything, and it would be interesting-maybe-to ask the writer, Harp Powell, why he was going around with the Rowes. I'd had the feeling he was a cut or two above what he seemed to be doing-making a quick buck off the murder of a young, self-destructive stripper.  

Without any news on the murder case, I had to move on with the rest of my day. Merlotte was waiting for me. The lockers for the employee area were supposed to come today on the truck. That would be fun.  

The parking lot was not too full yet, but soon it would be with lunch time fast approaching. I goaded and prodded myself into preparation and went in the back door of Merlotte's full of grim determination.  

As I tied on my apron, I felt my mouth curve up in my worst smile, the one that sent out "I'm crazy" signals all over the place. It had been a long time since I'd worn that particular smile. I made a round of my tables and realized Sam wasn't behind the bar, Maybe he and Jannalynn the Terrible had gone to Arkansas to get a marriage license. I stopped dead in my tracks, the smile turning into a scowl. Pivoting on my heel, I shot out the back door of Merlotte's. Sam's truck wasn't at his trailer.  

In the middle of the employee parking lot I clapped my cell phone to my ear after punching my speed dial.  

After two rings, Sam answered.  

"Where are you?" I snarled. If I was here being unhappy, Sam should be here, too. Weren't we sort-of partners?  

"I took another day off," he said, now clued in about my mood. He was only pretending to be casual.  

"Seriously, Sam, where are you?"  

"Yeah, you sound pretty damn serious," he said, now borderline angry himself.  

"I'm standing outside Jannalynn's house," he said finally. "Jannalynn volunteered us to help Brenda get Splendide back in order after the break-in. I did think I'd get back to Bon Temps sooner than I am." 

I started crying. I put my hand over the phone so he couldn't hear me.  

"Sookie, what's really wrong?" Sam's voice said.  

"I can't tell you standing out here in the parking lot, and anyway, it makes me sound like the most pitiful person." I couldn't manage to get myself under control. When I thought of Freyda's cool surface, I was disgusted with my own irrational display.  

And Eric. Oh my Eric! He has been missing and who knows what they  have been doing to him. "I'm sorry, Sam. Sorry I called you. I'll see you when you get home. Forget this whole conversation, okay?"  

I wanted to ask for his assistance on finding Eric, but maybe that would be too much for Jannalynn to handle. I was already in the "people to kill in the near future" list with her and I didn't want to push my luck.  

"Sookie? Listen, just shut up for a minute."  

I did.  

"Look, my friend, we're gonna be all right," he said. "We'll talk, and everything will look better."  

"Maybe not," I said.  

"Then we'll deal with that," he said.  

"Okay."  

"Sookie, is there any reason you can think of that someone might want to tear apart the pieces of furniture you sold to Brenda? I mean, her partner, Donald, said he'd found a secret drawer, but all that was in it was an old pattern and he'd handed that to you. Did you know anything about that furniture that might give any kind of hint why anyone would break it up?"  

"No," I lied. "It was just an old Butterick pattern, I think. I bet Jason or I stuck it in there when we were little 'cause we thought that would be funny. I don't even remember Gran showing it to us. You'll have to tell me all about the break-in when you come back. Drive careful."  

We hung up.  

I shook myself, feeling my personality spinning a thousand miles per hour. Today I was like an emotional tornado ready to destroy everything in front of me, but I had to put myself together somehow. I wiped my face with my apron before marching back into the bar, my cell phone in my pocket like a talisman.  

Everyone was eyeing me sideways. I must have startled the customers with my abrupt exit. I did a little courtesy tour around to all my tables, just to let people know I had returned to my right mind. They didn't need to know about my worries over Eric's safety.  

I worked through the rest of my shift without descending to the previous level of Hell I'd inhabited.  

Kennedy was singing behind the bar, still happy since Danny had revealed his big secret job hunt to her. I didn't feel like talking about vampire stuff at all, so I just rolled with her good mood.  

By the time the delivery truck pulled up to the back door, I was borderline psychotic myself. The day was going by way too slow. I kept looking at the time every 5 minutes waiting for the night to come.  

I had no other choice but to continue working to pass my day faster. The lockers fit right in the space I'd cleared for them, I'd already bought padlocks for everyone on the staff, and since Sam wasn't there, I got the pleasure of allotting everyone a locker and explaining that though Sam and I wouldn't go in the lockers unless there was a crisis, we would be keeping a key to each one. Since the ladies had trusted Sam all these years with their purses, they shouldn't have any problem trusting him with a change of clothes or a hairbrush. Everyone was pleased and even a little excited, because a change in the workplace can mean a lot.  

Sam's truck was parked in front of his trailer when my shift was over, so I felt free to take off. Sam and I needed to talk, but not this evening. I had to find Eric. That was the most important task for tonight.  

Anxiety was driving me crazy. The sun would still be up for a couple more hours and the waiting felt eternal.  

Dermot was there when I pulled up, and it was good because I didn't want to be alone for the next couple of hours. I would drive myself to insanity.  

Supper was ready. All we had to do was get it out of the still-warm oven.  

I told Dermot I'd "sent" the letter Bellenos had suggested, and he was so excited that he wanted to go out to the portal then and there to see if there'd been an answer. I persuaded him to wait until the next day, but he was fidgety for a good twenty minutes.  

Nonetheless, Dermot was the kind of guest you want to have; he complimented the food, and he helped do the dishes. By the time we cleared away, the night was about to start and it was time for action!  

"I'm going to finish caulking the attic windows," Dermot said, still humming with energy.  

Though before he'd begun work on the attic room he'd never caulked anything in his life, he'd watched a demonstration online and he was ready to work.  

"You rock, Dermot," I said.  

He grinned at me. He was really sticking to the attic renovation, despite what I felt was an increasingly weak chance that Claude would return to claim his bedroom. After he went upstairs, I rushed to my bedroom to take a quick shower, dress and without even knowing it I was on my way to Fangtasia.  

                                                   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

The drive felt longer than ever, but my mind was too occupied crafting a plan. There were too many "if" and I didn't have a solid lead to find Eric.  

I called him before I left my house, but it went straight to his mailbox. I called Pam too without any luck.  

It was well into the night, and I knew that customers would be already lined up waiting to enter the club. I wondered who would be at the door. I was certain it had to be Felipe's men.  

I pulled up to the parking lot, and much to my surprise, it was empty. Not one single vehicle. I drove slowly to the back of the club and found nobody parked there either. Both Eric and Pam usually parked there.  

I parked my car next to the employees' back door and without a second thought I knocked at the door multiple times. Usually, it only took one knock for somebody to open it. This time, I knocked and knocked and nothing happened. I closed my eyes to sense any brain activity or lack of it in the building; there was nothing. It was empty.  

This was not normal. Fangtasia is open every day of the year with no exceptions.  

I called Eric again. Nothing.  

I called Pam again. Nothing.  

What was going on here? My heart was pumping too much blood all too fast for my brain to register it. I'm not sure if my blood pressure dropped or went up to the sky, but I wasn't feeling well.  

Tears filled my eyes as fear took over my body. Eric. Without knowing what is going on, I'm useless and I hated that feeling. Anger was bouncing around my heart, Eric this is your fault for keeping me out of the loop.  

I got in my car and hit the road. I didn't know where to go, so I ended up at Eric's house. 

Once again, it was empty.  

My last choice was Bill. He had to know what was going on, but my hopes died when I found Bill’s house empty too.

Having nowhere to go, I went home. I cried all the way there and more. I wanted to see Eric desperately. And I wanted Felipe the Castro dead.  

A sudden thought crossed my mind. If I couldn't find Eric, then I could find Felipe de Castro and kill him. He would never expect it from me.  

And a plan started to take form in my mind!

 

 **Note** : Note: I hope you're enjoying the story. Join me and Sookie on the search for Eric, and the removal of Freyda and Felipe de Castro off their lives. Love must conquer no matter what! Reviews are more than welcome. Let me know your thoughts!   


	9. Chapter 9

I hope you enjoyed the previous chapter. I want to thank everybody who took the time to read the story. I am definitely enjoying this and I hope you’re enjoying it too. J  

Disclaimer: I am not the owner of these characters. The original story and the characters belong to Charlaine Harris. I am only borrowing them for a little while.    

 **Chapter 9**  

\-----------------------------

**Eric’s POV**

From the moment I woke up I knew my body was completely healed. My energy was back and I felt strong again. I went to check on Karin and Pam. Karin woke up when I entered their bedroom and Pam followed a few minutes later.

Pam used this bedroom on a regular basis and she had it decorated to show her feminine side. Modern style furniture with colorful materials decorated it. Karin’s taste was opposite to hers. Last night they shared Pam’s large bed, and as long as both of them agreed, I wasn’t going to interfere.

“I have not been able to talk to you properly,” I told Karin as I kissed her forehead.

“I understand. Who did this to you?” Karin asked.

“There’s much you don’t know,” I replied while I inspected Pam’s toes. “Your recovery is remarkable,” I told Pam.

“I feel much better,” Pam replied.

Meanwhile, Karin walked in with three warmed bottles of blood and we drank them fast.

“King Felipe de Castro did this to us,” Pam told Karin.

“Then, he must die,” Karin replied.

“It’s not that simple,” I explained as I went on with the takeover story, Sookie, our marriage, Ocella, and Freyda.

“Ocella did it to fuck with you,” Pam said.

“There is some of that in it, but he also saw the economical advantage and the power that he would have received with the marriage. Freyda lured him well.”

“I understand your need to comply with your maker’s last wish, but is it worth it?” Karin asked me.

“I’m split. I really love Sookie. For the first time in a thousand years I have fallen in love. That didn’t even happen when I was human.” 

“Are you willing to wait another thousand years to find somebody like her again?” Pam asked.

“No. I don’t want to.”

“Then, it’s not worth it. Besides, King Felipe de Castro will find a way to kill you no matter what, and he will use Victor’s death as an excuse,” Karin replied.

“I know.”

“Then tell me why aren’t you planning his death?” Karin asked.

“Because he doesn’t want to be king,” Pam replied.

“That’s a minor detail. Either he dies or you die. I don’t see what’s to decide,” Karin replied.

“He needs to die after what he did to Pam, but it has to be strategically planned,” I replied.

“Right now, he will use Sookie to keep Eric checked,” Pam said.

“I want to tell Sookie the truth, but that might put her life in danger. The least she knows, the better,” I explained.

“I disagree,” Pam said while looking at me, “you’re underestimating her ability to survive.”

“Why don’t you turn her?” Karin asked.

“She doesn’t want to be turned,” I replied.

“It’s not like Pam and I had a choice. Why would she have one?” Karin asked.

“I have considered,” I replied.

“Then do it,” Karin stated.

“I’ll turn her if you want me to,” Pam offered.

“Let’s discuss this later,” I replied.

“I could guard her in secret, and since nobody in Area 5 knows about me, then it would be easier,” Karin offered.

“That’s a good idea, but you need to know a few things about Sookie,” I replied to Karin, “but that must wait. King Felipe de Castro will be at Fangtasia tonight with Freyda. They want to talk about the marriage contract. Karin, stay hidden here with Pam. I’ll see you both closer to sunrise.” I closed the conversation and went on to get ready to go to Fangtasia. Tonight was going to be a long night.

On my way to Fangtasia, I made a must needed stop. When she opened the door, she was happily surprised to see me again.

“May I come in,” I asked her.

“Yes you may,” she replied and moved away from the door for me to enter.

“I never asked for your name when I visited you two nights ago.”

“I never asked for yours,” the wicked lady smiled mischievously.

“Yet, you helped me.”

“Olivia Docket is my name,” she replied.

“Mrs. Docket, you have a generous heart and you helped me without asking for anything in return.”

“I’m glad I was able to help. You looked like you had been in a lot of trouble, and the lady you carried in your arms looked like she was dying. I didn’t know a vampire could die from a disease.”

“She was poisoned, but today she’s recovering. And thanks for your generosity we made it home safe.”

She smiled timidly. I scanned her house and it was simple, yet warm and pleasant.

“I would offer you a True Blood, but you are the first vampire that ever visited me. I could have a few bottles for the next time you visit.”

I smiled at her. Her humble personality warmed my heart. “You don’t need to do that, but I would like to repay you for your kindness.”  

“Seeing you naked was good enough payment. I just wished I was forty years younger so I could have jumped your bones. Under my current conditions, I would break into pieces,” she smiled.

“You have a heart condition; a blocked artery to be precise.”

She sat on the sofa, looking at me in disbelief, “how do you know that?”

“I can hear your heart in distress.”  

“I haven’t seen my son in almost three years, and I with this news, I don’t think I’ll see him again. Ten years ago he got an executive position at a large bank and he pretty much forgot about me. He got busier every passing year and he visited less. I wished he knew how important he is to me.”

I sat next to her and she continued, “I also have rheumatoid arthritis that has damaged my joints, hypertension, diabetes type two, and osteoporosis.” She lowered her head, her sadness was visible.

“Would you like me to take the pain away?” 

“Please don’t kill me. I don’t want to die.”

“I didn’t come here to kill you.”

“Then, how could you do that?”

“I could give you my blood and it would heal your body.”

She looked at me; her eyes were wide opened in disbelief, “really?”

 I bit my wrist wide opened and offered to her. She was skeptical, but she took it and drank quietly. A couple of minutes passed and my wrist healed. However, she remained immobile for a couple of more minutes without saying a word, and then she stood up and walked across the room. She walked fast. She came to me and hugged me tight, “thank you!” and then started crying, but she controlled herself soon enough. “Thank you,” she repeated herself.

“This is my gift to you. Enjoy your life. I must leave now.”

“You are an angel, and good things must be coming your way.”

“I ensure you, I’m not an angel, but I hope you are right about the good things coming my way. Good night Mrs. Docket.” I glamoured her to forget about my visit and the healing and left her house satisfied the results. I got in my car and continued driving to Fangtasia; for the first time, I dreaded it.

Everybody stopped working and rushed to meet me at the entrance of Fangtasia.

“Master,” Thalia said as she bowed to show respect.

“Master.”

“Master,” everybody else echoed as they bowed.

I nodded at them and turned to Thalia, “Pam told me you’re in charge tonight while Pam is out.”

“Yes master. We kept your office cleaned and organized as much as we could. King Felipe de Castro has been visiting us every night.”

Now I knew he had checked everything in my office he put his hands on. “He will be here tonight again,” I warned them.

“Master,” Bubba said as he entered Fangtasia.

I nodded at him and turned to everybody else, “get back to work and keep Fangtasia organized for our King’s arrival.” Instantly, everybody left to do their jobs and I was left alone with Bubba.

“Bubba, I need you to go and tell Sookie a message. Once you deliver it, stay in the woods guarding her and find a place to hide for the day.”

“Yes master,” Bubba said paying attention to my words and left immediately.

I went to my office to check what damage had King Felipe de Castro done in my absence. Not long afterwards Felipe de Castro arrived with a large entourage. Freyda followed him with hers. Her eyes were set on me from the moment she spotted me. While she was beautiful and brave, she wasn’t Sookie. We went to my office, and after all the pleasantries were said, we proceeded with the contract discussion.

Of course, Felipe de Castro sat on my chair behind the desk; Freyda sat in one of the guest chairs and I sat next to her, facing the king. I wasn’t sure if Freyda was part of the torture plan, but I was determined to find out.

“As I was discussing with Freyda while you were gone these days, she made a deal with Ocella where he was to receive fifty percent of your gains, and since I’m here making sure his wish is followed, then I think it’s only fair I get his share,” King Felipe de Castro stated. His words made me realize that he has been making deals with Freyda behind my back, and I wondered, what else have been said in my absence.

“My maker is not here to receive his part. Therefore, his share should go to me as his beneficiary.” I could care less about Ocella’s share, but I would be damn if Felipe de Castro made money out of my misery.

“And as I told King Felipe de Castro, Ocella’s share couldn’t go to him because the deal was signed in Oklahoma before King Felipe de Castro’s involvement. The legal bounds were between Ocella and me. In his absence, his part would be void,” Freyda stated.

“If his part would be void, as you just stated, then it would void the contract in its entirety. You can’t choose to void parts that are convenient for you,” I said.

“Would you deny my part after helping you to fulfill your maker’s last wish?” King Felipe de Castro asked me.

“My maker didn’t stipulate for you to see his wish was fulfilled,” I stated.

“I’m doing it out of the goodness of my heart,” King Felipe de Castro said as he put his hand on his chest. He was all about dramatic gestures.

“Then, you shouldn’t expect to collect benefits over something done out of the goodness of your heart,” I stated.

The night was too long, and we kept going in circles. For the first time in a very long time I was very productive by wasting their time.

A knock at the door interrupted our discussion. “Please come in,” Felipe de Castro said and his guard walked in.

“Your majesty, the ride has arrived,” the guard said.

“Time went by so fast,” Felipe de Castro said. He stood up and continued talking as he passed us, “I must return to New Orleans tonight to take care of some pending affairs there, but I will be expecting you there Eric.”

I was shocked, “it’s 4:15am and I wasn’t aware I was to go to New Orleans.”

“You have plenty of time to make arrangements. I will see you at 9:00pm tonight in my office over there,” he then bowed to Freyda and left immediately.

Felipe de Castro was testing my last nerve, but I couldn’t show my emotions in front of Freyda. I went to my desk and started making phone calls, arranging my daytime transportation to New Orleans.

“As my consort you wouldn’t have to deal with any of this,” Freyda said, breaking the long silence.

“With all due respect your majesty, I have plenty of work to do before sunrise.”

“Of course. We took most of the night with our discussions. I wish you farewell and I’ll see you again upon your return,” Freyda said.

She left the office and I was thankful to be left alone. Now I’ll have time to feed Pam my blood once more before sunrise.

Fangtasia was already closed, and Thalia was handling the last minute tasks before retiring for her sleep. I nodded at her on my way out and before arriving at my house I made a quick detour to feed from a human.

My mind was preoccupied with too many problems at hand, and Pam and Karin respected my silence. Instead, I packed a change of clothes, fed Pam with my blood, and returned to Fangtasia where the special transportation was waiting for me. I knew Felipe de Castro didn’t need me in New Orleans; he was setting me up, looking for ways to accuse me of failing to comply with his orders. I won’t allow him to do that.

 

 **Note** : I hope you're enjoying the story. Can you tell that Felipe de Castro is intimidated by Eric? The King knows that Eric has loyal people working for him which it’s something that the King doesn’t have. It takes a lot for a new King to earn his subordinate’s respect, and allowing Victor’s dead to go unpunished would set many vampires off as they would feel the King won’t support them in time of need. Eric knows this, and he needs to act soon before it’s too late! Stay tuned for the upcoming chapters! Would Eric kill Felipe de Castro and become the new King?  We will see about that! Reviews are more than welcome. Let me know your thoughts!   


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I am not the owner of these characters. The original story and the characters belong to Charlaine Harris. I am only borrowing them for a little while.    

 **Chapter 10**  

\-----------------------------

**Sookie’s POV**

The day was longer than usual and I couldn’t take Eric off my mind. It was a little over an hour after sundown when Bubba showed up in the back yard. As always, he was polite and happy to see me. My heart skipped a beat thinking about Eric. Bubba’s presence meant news about him.  

“Bubba, please come in,” I invited him while I set up a bottle of True Blood in the microwave. He sat on the small table, waiting without saying a word. In no time it was ready and he gulped it down without giving it a second thought.

“Any news about Eric or Pam?” I broke the long silence. I couldn’t wait any longer to find out the reason for his visit. Not that he wasn’t welcome to visit me, but this time I wanted to know fast.

“I have a message,” he replied and then he went silent again. I waited for him to continue, but impatience was getting the best of me.

“Master Eric said “I’ll come to you tomorrow or the day after, and we will talk.”

He’s alive!  A huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders.   

However, something was not right because Bubba looked thoughtful and remained silent.

“Is that all the message?” I asked confused.

“Yes,” he stated.  

“You aren’t as talkative as usual. What’s going on in Fangtasia?” I asked puzzled.

“I’m sorry Mrs. Sookie,” he then stood up and left without saying another word, and I was left with too many questions and a storm of feelings that ranged from anger to happiness to sadness.

I took the empty True Blood bottle to the kitchen and started doing the dishes. I scrubbed the plates and the cooking pans until they were beyond shiny. I had been worried to death about him and all I got was a one sentence message delivered to me. Not even a phone call from him. Nothing! 

Maybe I have been too stupid to realize that I actually didn’t matter to him like I wanted to. Maybe I was one more thing in his ‘to do’ list.

No.  I was one more thing to do in his ‘if I have time’ list.

I have been too busy pounding with my thoughts while doing the dishes that I didn’t realize that there was somebody in my backyard. I opened my mind to find out who it was, but it came back empty. A vampire.

I peeked through the back door and it was Bill. I quickly finished with the last few dishes and dried my hands before hurrying up to meet him who was looking both intent and focused.

“Where have you been and everybody else?” I didn’t waste time asking him. He stood there silent while I continued, “I went to Fangtasia, Eric’s house, and yours and found nobody! What’s going on?” I took a deep breath after dumping my frustration on him.

It was easy to see that Bill had something important to tell me. Maybe he had information about Eric and his disappearance. We both sat in the lawn chairs as he started talking, “I don’t know if you’ve spared a moment to wonder about my efforts to find out who killed the young woman, but I assure you I’m trying to find out. She died while I was patrolling, and I won’t be easy until I understand why it happened.”

Taken aback, I could only nod slightly. He didn’t reply to my questions and instead he continued, “Heidi and I went over Eric’s backyard with great attention,” Bill said.

“What did you smell? Anything?”  

“Even Heidi could not say for certain who’d been there,” Bill said. “Many humans, sweaty humans … the yard workers. A dash of fairy, but that could have been a very faint trace of the vial around the girl’s neck. And a stronger trace of twoey. That could have been from the girl herself.” He leaned back and looked up into the night sky … the only sky he’d seen in more than a hundred and thirty years.

“What do you think happened?” I asked him, after we’d been quiet for a few calm moments.

“I think she drank the vial when she knew she was about to see Eric and tucked the vial down her bra in case the lingering scent would attract him further. And when I found her on the lawn, I could smell that she was two-natured. That would have added to her … allure.”

“The dad’s two-natured, a Were, I think. The Rowes showed up here at my house yesterday with a reporter, to try to make something quotable happen. In the case of the shifter, to me, it appears a lot more likely that Mustapha let Kym Rowe in so she could find Eric and offer herself. I just don’t know why. Why did someone prep her and send her in to do that? Why did they get Mustapha to delay my arrival? I guess so that she’d have time to hook Eric … but then, why have me come in? Mustapha could have told me that the meeting had been canceled or that I should go to Fangtasia instead … a hundred different things.”

“His role in this is a mystery,” Bill said, shrugging. “She was obviously bait for Eric, designed to arouse his lust.” Bill looked at me and blinked. “His bloodlust,” he added hastily. “But she must have had some piece of information, if only the name of who hired her to do this. When you argued with Eric and he sent the girl away, someone went after her and seized her head and twisted.” Bill made a very graphic motion with his hands. No stranger to the seizing and twisting, he.

“Disregarding why she was killed,” I said, “why was she sent there in the first place? Getting me mad at Eric doesn’t seem to be much of a reason.”

Bill looked down at his hands. “There are a couple of theories that fit the few facts we’re sure of,” he said slowly. “And these theories are what I’ll tell Eric. The first is that Eric himself or Pam or Mustapha followed the Rowe woman out of the house and killed her out of sheer anger at the trouble she’d caused. Perhaps—if the killer was Eric— he wanted to erase the memory of the offense he’d committed against you.”

I stiffened. This was nothing I hadn’t thought of myself, but hearing it out loud made it seem more likely. “The other theory … well, that’s more complex.” Bill shifted his gaze to the dark woods. “She was there to get Eric to drink from her. Since Mustapha was the one who called you and told you to come later, his purpose must have been to make sure you were not there to prevent Eric from being interested in her.”

“But the only result was that I got mad at Eric. Bill, who cares that much about my love life?” Bill gave me a very direct look, and I could feel myself turning red.

But instead of making a personal reference, Bill said, “You had a visitor last night who cares very deeply.”

I tried not to flinch too obviously. “You know she came to the house?”

“We all know about her presence in Area Five, Sookie. All of us who are sworn to Eric. It’s hard to cover up the visit of a queen, especially one as well-known as Freyda. It’s even harder to remain ignorant of exactly where she is. She went to the casino to confer with Felipe directly after she left your house.”

So they were at the casino and kept Fangtasia closed. Interesting. “What makes Freyda so well-known?” I bypassed all the obvious conversational openings that Bill’s little speech presented to lock in on what was most interesting to me. I was all too aware that Bill could see how desperate I was to know more about her, and I just didn’t care.

Bill kindly looked down at his hands as he told me, “She’s beautiful, of course. Ambitious. Young. She’s not content to sit on her throne and let things hum along. By the way, she had to fight for that throne. She killed her predecessor, and he didn’t make it easy. Freyda has worked hard to extend the business dealings of Oklahoma. The only thing slowing her progress is her lack of a strong and loyal second. If she acquires the strong vampire she needs to serve as her right hand, she’ll always have to watch her back against that vampire’s ambition. If she marries this right hand, he can’t succeed her. His loyalty will be assured, because his fate is bound to hers.”

I pondered this for a few minutes, while Bill sat in silence. Vampires are great at that. I caught his eyes on my face. I got the impression that Bill felt sorry for me. A worm of panic twisted in my stomach. “Freyda’s strong, active, and determined,” I said. “Like Eric. And you say she needs a good fighter, a good second. Like Eric.”

“Yes, like Eric,” he said deliberately. “Freyda would be a great match for him. Practically speaking, he’d escape from the political situation created by his murder of Victor. The king’s going to have to do something to Eric. Felipe really can’t afford to be perceived as ignoring Victor’s death.”

“Why not?”

He looked at me blankly.

“Felipe let Victor get away with whatever the hell Victor wanted to do,” I said. “Why shouldn’t he be perceived that way?”

“He doesn’t want to lose the loyalty of the vampires who serve him,” Bill said.

“That’s ridiculous!” I thought steam would come out of my ears. “You can’t have it all different ways!”

“But he’ll try. I don’t think you’re really angry about Felipe. You’re really angry about the hard practicality of Eric marrying Freyda.” I winced, but Bill continued ruthlessly. “You have to admit that her character is much like Eric’s and that they’d make a good team.”

“Eric’s my team,” I said. “He loves me. He wants to stay here.” I realized that I was, so to speak, batting with another hand now. I’d been just as sure the night before that Eric would leave, that he loved power more than he loved me.

“But … Sookie, you must see … staying might be the death of him.” I could read a mixture of pity and tough love in Bill’s attitude.

“Bill, are you sure you’re able to judge that?”

“I hope that I have your best interests in my heart, Sookie.” He paused, as if considering whether he should go on. “I know you’ll suspect everything I say about this situation—because I love you, and I don’t love Eric. But truly, I want your happiness, above almost everything else.”

Almost everything else. I found myself wondering what came ahead of that. His own survival?

I heard the screen door bang, and Dermot hurried out to his car. “Got to get to the club,” he called. “Drive careful,” I called back. He was gone before I could say anything more.

I turned back to Bill, who was staring at the spot where Dermot had stood, a wistful expression on his face. No wonder Dermot had hurried; he’d surely known a vampire was in the backyard and that his scent would be attractive.

“Let’s get back to the Kym Rowe issue,” I said, to get Bill’s attention. “What can I do to help you find out who killed her?”

“The first person we’d want to talk to is Mustapha, and he’s vanished. Tell me exactly what he said when he was here.”

“Which time? When he was here before the night of the party, or when he was here after the party?”

“Tell me about both visits.” I related the first conversation to Bill, though there was surprisingly little to tell. Mustapha’d been here. He’d relayed Pam’s warning, which I hadn’t understood until I’d met Freyda. He’d warned me about Jannalynn. The second time he was here, he’d been worried about Warren.

“You’ve told Eric this?” he asked. I snorted. “We haven’t talk in a while. Bubba told me that he has been missing, yet I hear nothing from Pam or anybody else.”

Wisely, Bill didn’t comment. He recapped. “So Mustapha comes to your house, though he’s been missing ever since the girl died. He tells you that he wants to talk to Alcide, but he’s afraid to call him or approach him directly since Jannalynn might be around to intercept him.” While I thought that was a fair summary, it didn’t escape me his sudden change of topic again.

“Yes, and I’ve passed that message along to Alcide,” I said. “Plus, what’s most important to Mustapha, his friend Warren is missing. I think someone abducted Warren, and they’re holding him in return for Mustapha’s good behavior.”

“Then finding Warren would be a good thing,” Bill said, and I winced when I heard his voice. I’d screwed up.

“I get that it was dumb for me not to have mentioned this first of all,” I said. “I’m sorry.”

“Tell me about this Warren.”

“You haven’t ever seen him?”

Bill shrugged. “No. Why would I?”

“He’s a shooter. He was stationed outside Fangtasia the night we killed Victor.”

“So that was Warren. Skinny little guy, big eyes, long hair?”

“Sounds right.”

“What are he and Mustapha to each other?”

It was my turn to shrug. “I have no idea. They were in prison together, I think.”

“Mustapha was in prison?”

I nodded. “Yeah, his real name is KeShawn Johnson. I got that out of his head.”

“I wonder if Eric knows about that,” Bill said.

I had enough of him evading my questions, “Why didn’t you answer my first question? Where’s Eric and what is going on in Fangtasia?”

“Eric is busy with Freyda, and Pam is in New Orleans doing something for Felipe de Castro,” Bill replied.

I turned my head his way and stared at him. He was lying to my face. Either he was lying to screw up with Eric or he was told to lie to cover Eric’s disappearance. It shouldn’t surprise me to find out that Bill was lying to me again, but obviously I have been naïve trusting that he learned his lesson. I was wrong, but I’ll deal with him later. Right now, I needed to prioritize.  

“What about Jannalynn?” I asked changing the topic.

“Sam’s woman? There is no proof against her.”

“Kim Rowe was a were, what if Jannalynn knew her?”

“Sookie, there’s no proof other than your wishes to find her guilty.” Bill looked at me with curiosity. Yes, I wished she was guilty. Sam deserved a better woman.

“Ok. Let’s go and find Warren. If we find Warren, then we would find Mustapha and the killer. Eric would be free from this situation.”

“Right now?” Bill asked shocked.

“Yes. Why waste time. Let’s go to Alcide’s house and see what information he has found.”

He was reluctant, but he knew that I was a determined woman. We got in his car and off we went to see Alcide.

 

 **Note** : I hope you enjoy the story. Is Freyda a batter choice for Eric? What do you think? And Bill is lying again, what a surprise uh!  I changed the Warren storyline because I think that it was stupid to wait days to rescue him. It was wasted pages that could have been used for Eric and Sookie’s story. Join me and Sookie to find out the truth. Love must conquer no matter what! Reviews are more than welcome. Let me know your thoughts!   


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I am not the owner of these characters. The original story and the characters belong to Charlaine Harris. I am only borrowing them for a little while.    

 **Chapter 11**  

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**I think that the upcoming chapters need to be told from Sookie’s POV only because… well, you will find out why!  Enjoy it !**

**SOOKIE’S POV**

The ride to Alcide’s house was silent. There was really not much to say at this point. My heart was still aching knowing that Bill lied to my face without flinching. How many more lies did he tell me and I believed him?

We parked in Alcide’s driveway next to a man who was dismounting a motorcycle; we recognized Mustapha the minute he took off his helmet. He looked at us surprised, but recovered really quickly.

“Mustapha,” I called him as I exited the car, “did Alcide call you in?”

“No. I’m here to talk to Alcide. Looking for new leads to find Warren.” 

“We are here for the same reason,” I told him.

“We have been looking for you. Especially Eric,” Bill stated. I looked at him knowing that he was lying again. I didn’t add to his comment, but it suddenly downed on me that Bill was trying very hard to cover up Eric’s disappearance.

“This is an unexpected but pleasant visit Sookie. Good evening Bill and Mustapha,” Alcide interrupted us as he waved us in.

After all the pleasantries were given and all the drinks were served, we sat on his living room, anxious for information.

“I’m going to talk first because I have a special interest to get this done with,” I said while I sipped on my coke. It felt refreshing on my throat. “Mustapha, how did Kym get into Eric’s house?”

“I let her in,” he replied. Alcide stopped and turned to him. His face was hard and accusing. “Jannalynn told me that she had Warren. She told me I had to let this Rowe girl into the house. That was all I had to do,” Mustapha explained.

I looked at Bill with satisfaction. Bill wasn’t too happy to find out that I had been right about her, but he didn’t make any comments. His face was hard to guess because he barely showed his emotions.

“If Jannalynn has Warren, then we need to find her and make her confess,” Bill said, turning our attention back to the topic.   

“After I talked to you about Jannalynn,” Alcide spoke to me, “I began to think about her pretty seriously. The more I took her recent actions apart, the more I thought I should look deeper. I figured out that Jannalynn was not telling me the truth about a few things. Sometimes when she was supposed to be around, she was out of touch. I thought maybe her romance with Sam was going over the top, but when she’d tell me one thing about them, you didn’t seem to know anything about it. And Sam’s your partner, so you’d know, I figured.”

So he’d called me to talk about Sam and Jannalynn’s “wedding plans,” at least in part to hear my reaction; of course, I’d been completely shocked.

“I saw her one time when she didn’t see me. She was at a bar way across town, instead of at the Hair. And she was with a group of rogues I had turned down. I knew she was planning something. I’d had them all over at social evenings at the house, talked to ‘em. The only one worth anything was a female named Kandace, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to be in a pack. Didn’t like the power struggles. I got to respect that, but I thought she’d be an asset.”

I thought maybe he’d also liked Kandace’s assets, but that was his business.

“So, I called up Kandace, and asked her to meet me alone. Without me even bringing it up, she volunteered to tell me what was going on, because it troubled her.”

“She must be a good person,” I said.

He smiled, gratified. “Kandace said Jannalynn wanted to challenge me, defeat me, but first she wanted to get a good toehold in the pack by socking away some money, enlisting pack members to her side, getting some of her own muscle. Her proposal to these rogues was that they could come into the pack if they’d do her bidding; then when she beat me, she’d let them have full benefits.”

I wondered if that included health and dental, but I wasn’t going to go down a side part while he was still in a sharing mood.

“So,” he said, “I got a guy she didn’t know to follow Jannalynn. He saw her meeting with your buddy Claude. There’s just no good reason for that.”

That got my attention, “what… why? Why was she meeting with Claude, of all people?”

“I have no idea,” Alcide said.   
“So all we have to do is find Jannalynn and ask her a lot of questions,” I said. “And find Warren. And hope that Claude comes back from Faery, so I can question him. And get Felipe and his vamps to leave us alone, here in Shreveport. And get that Freyda out of here too.”

Alcide looked at me, wondered whether to speak, and decided on full disclosure. “Is it true Sookie? Palomino told Roy that Eric’s engaged to a vampire from Oklahoma?”

“I can’t talk about it,” I said. “Or I’ll get really upset, Alcide, and you just don’t want that tonight. Besides, she shouldn’t be telling vampire business around town.”

“Going back to the subject,” Mustapha said, “I know why Jannalynn was meeting with Claude. She was hired to find a were girl willing to carry it out. Claude hired her. I have seen him at your place. Your cousin?”

I was shocked. I was more than shocked.

“Why?” I said out loud. “Why?”

“I assume it was Claude’s blood that had made Kym so irresistible to Eric,” Mustapha added.

“Dammit,” I said leaning forward to bury my face in my hands while holding back my tears.

“Sookie, we’ll figure all this out,” Alcide said. He sounded very confident and strong. “We’ll get this all taken care of. We’ll clear Eric with the police.”

“Where could Jannalynn hide Warren,” Bill said.

“Jannalynn is from Shreveport,” Alcide said. “She lives in an apartment above the Hair of the Dog, so that’s out. No place there; besides, we’d have heard Warren if he’d been stashed there, or we’d have smelled him.”

“If he was alive,” I said, very quietly.

“If he wasn’t, definitely we’d have smelled him,” Alcide said, and Mustapha nodded, his face expressionless.

“So where does she have her own, a place she could be fairly sure no one else would go?”

“Her mom and dad retired to Florida last year,” Alcide said. “But they sold their house. Our computer guy who works at the tax assessor’s office couldn’t find anything else in Jannalynn’s name.”

“You sure that house sold? In this market?”

“That’s what she told me. And the sign was down, last time I went by,” Alcide said.

Mustapha stirred. “It’s on a big lot, and it’s pretty far out of Shreveport,” he said. “I was out that way once, driving with Jannalynn, when the pack was courting me. She said she used to ride dirt bikes out there. They had horses too.”

“Anyone can take down a sign,” I said.

I put enough doubt on everybody’s mind that we were out to Alcide’s car absentmindedly, and we hit the road immediately. After some driving, I saw we were now in a suburban area where the lots were at least four acres; maybe this had been out in the country once upon a time, until Shreveport had grown.

“It’s right around here,” Mustapha said and when we saw a white fence bordering the road, he said, “This is it. I remember the fence.”

There was a horse gate across the driveway, and I hopped out to move it because I just wanted to get out of the car. They drove through and I followed them. It was completely dark out here, no streetlights. There was a security light in the front yard, but that was it. No lights on in the ranch-style house or in the freestanding garage a few feet behind it, where the driveway terminated. A dilapidated swing set rusted in the front yard. I pictured little Jannalynn playing on it, and found myself picturing a swing hitting her in the head.

I grimly erased that image and joined the three men who’d gotten out of the car to stand uncertainly in the noisy night. The crickets and all the other myriad bugs of Louisiana were having a concert in the woods that bordered the property. I heard a dog bark, far away.

“Now we break in,” Alcide said and I said, “Wait.”

“But-” Mustapha began.

“Be quiet,” I said, finally feeling that there was something I could do rather than get swept into events as they passed me by. I sent out my other sense, the one that shaped my life, the one given me at birth by the demon Mr. Cataliades. I searched and searched, looking for the signature of a mind, and just when I was going to give up, I felt a faint flicker of thought. “There is someone,” I said very quietly. “There is someone.”

“Where?” Mustapha and Bill asked in unison.

“In the attic over the garage,” I said, and it was like I’d fired off the starting gun. Werewolves are creatures of action, after all. Bill followed them. I could tell that Bill really didn’t want to be here, but he was putting a good front. Maybe finding Eric’s innocence was not high on his priority list.

There were outside stairs on the side of the garage, which I hadn’t seen. They saw it and up they swarmed. Mustapha, catching a scent he recognized, threw back his head and howled. It made my hair stand up. I moved to the foot of the steps, and though I still couldn’t see much, I could make out the two figures on the landing above beginning a furious motion. It accompanied a rhythmic thud. I realized the three men were throwing themselves against a door. There was a ka-BANG that had to be the door flying back, and then a light came on.

Mustapha howled again, and I feared that Warren was dead.

I just couldn’t stand it; I sank to my knees.

“Sookie,” Alcide said urgently.

I looked up. Mustapha was coming down the stairs, a body in his arms. Alcide was right in front of me.

“He’s alive,” Alcide said. “But he’s been up there without air conditioning or ventilation or food or water for God knows how long. I guess the bitch couldn’t be bothered. We got to get him some help.”

“Vampire blood?” I suggested, but very quickly.

“I think Mustapha might consider that now,” Alcide said, and I knew that Warren must be very bad.

I turned my head to Bill’s direction who was cautiously listening to our conversation. “Bill could you help him?”

Bill stood still for a second and then nodded, but Alcide interrupted us, “let’s get him out of here first. He could feed him in the car.” We left in a hurry.  

Mustapha settled Warren in the back of Alcide’s truck and I sneaked in as I could. Warren’s head rested on Mustapha’s lap. His concerned face broke my heart.

Warren’s brain signature became weaker, flickered, resumed. “Mustapha, would you mind if Bill gives Warren a drink to help him live?”

“If it can bring him back, I’ll do it. He may hate me later. Hell, I may hate myself. But we got to save him.”

Bill opened the door nearest to Warren’s head, bit his own wrist, and held the bleeding wrist over Warren’s parched mouth.

I didn’t know if Warren would have done it if he hadn’t been so thirsty. At first, Bill’s blood trickling into the slack mouth seemed to raise no reaction. But then something sparked in Warren, and he began to consciously drink. I could see his throat moving.  

“Enough,” I said after a minute. I could see Warren’s brain firing back up. “Now take him to the hospital, and they’ll do all the right stuff for him.”

“But they’ll know,” Alcide was scowling at me, and so was Mustapha. “They’ll question him about who took him.” Bill, standing and holding his wrist, looked only mildly interested.

 “You don’t want the police to arrest Jannalynn?” That seemed like the best of all possible worlds to me.

“She would kill them if they tried,” Alcide said, but I knew from the conflict flowing from his head that he wasn’t voicing his real concern.

“You want to punish her,” I said, in as neutral a voice as I could manage.

“Course he does,” Mustapha said. “She’s pack. She’s his to punish.”

“I do want to ask her some questions,” I said.

“Like what?” Bill asked.

“Claude,” I replied.

“Claude himself could tell you why,” Bill said grimly. His comment hung in the air as we got in Alcide’s truck to return home.

Our drive back into Alcide’s neighborhood was shorter than our drive out because we knew our way now. As soon as we arrived, Alcide’s invited Warren and Mustapha to spend the night at his house until they find Jannalynn. They both accepted. In a hurry, Bill and I got in his car and drove back. I couldn’t wait to get back home.

“Why would Claude have done such a thing?”

I didn’t realize I’d said it out loud until Bill answered.

“Sookie, I don’t know. I can’t even guess. He doesn’t hate Eric, or at least I can’t think of any reason why he should. He might be envious you have such a handsome lover, but that’s hardly sufficient reason….”

“Okay, let’s think,” I said. “Why would he try to make trouble in such a devious way? He could have set fire to my house.” (Though that had already been done.) “He could try to shoot me.” (Ditto.) “He could abduct me and torture me.” (Likewise.) “If his goal was to make trouble for Eric, there were at least twenty more direct ways to cause it.”

“Yes,” Bill said. “But a direct way would have led straight back to him. It’s the indirectness of it, the slyness of it, that convinces me that Claude wanted to stay in your good graces, stay close to you.”

“It’s not out of love. I can tell you that.”

“Is there something I don’t know about Sookie? Some reason Claude would want your company, want to live in your house and stay close to you?” After a moment of silence, Bill hurried to add, “Not that any sane male wouldn’t want to, even someone like Claude who likes other men.”

“Why, yes, Bill,” I said, “And it’s funny you should bring that up. As a matter of fact, there is such a reason.”

Though I clammed up then because I didn’t need to spread the word any wider, I was fuming. I might as well get  “I HAVE A CLUVIEL DOR” tattooed on my forehead. Thanks, Grandfather Fintan, for the great gift. And while I was at it, Thanks, Sponsor Cataliades for the telepathy. And also whle I was angry at people in my past – Thanks, Gran, for having an affair with a fairy and not using the cluviel dor while you had the chance and, therefore, sticking me with it.   

I had to talk myself down a little bit after that internal explosion of rage, all the more powerful because it was silent.

I took a deep breath and let it out, as Bill had advised me to do earlier in the evening. The procedure did let off some steam and gave me the control necessary to slap some discipline onto my thoughts.

By the time we arrived at my house, the night was almost over and Bill was in a hurry to get back home.

“Tomorrow, I’ll let Eric know about Jannalynn’s involvement and his proven innocence. Rest well Sookie,” Bill said and drove away.

I was extremely tired, and after a quick shower, I went to sleep.

                                                                  ~~~~

I could swear I just went to sleep when the alarm went off. I was due at Merlottes at three, but there was no way it was that late. Unfortunately, a quick glance at the alarm clock confirmed my error; it was two o’clock already.

I got ready in slow motion, wishing I could get back to bed. At Merlottes I was on auto-pilot. Every so often I considered taking the rest of the day off, but I really needed the money. Besides, staying at home wouldn’t do any good because all I would be doing would be thinking about Eric, his message, and the fact that he hasn’t come to see me.

Was Eric taking me for granted?  Maybe I have been too available for him and he didn’t appreciate me anymore. I knew that the vampire world was more important than me, but what else could I do to be his number one priority? Shouldn’t I be his priority since he pledged his feelings towards me? Would I ever be his priority? Would I be happy with a man that didn’t consider me as his priority?

Yes, definitely staying home wouldn’t be a good thing. At least Merlottes kept me busy. By the time I got off work it was already night time. Of course I glanced at my cell phone multiple times expecting a text or a missed call from him. And of course, nothing happened.

I went home in a bad mood, and it didn’t help to find Pam waiting for me. I parked my car by the back entrance and walked to the front porch where Pam waited.

“Another message from Eric?” I said bitterly. I was tempted to sit next to her, but I decided otherwise.

“He doesn’t know I’m here.”

“He doesn’t know I’m here either,” I stated bitterly. “First he went missing, then you went to find him, and now he hasn’t even called me since his return.”

“There are too many things that you don’t know,” Pam said.

“I noticed. Have I been dumped and haven’t been notified yet?” I said with a heartbreak, but not letting that show in my voice.

“Felipe de Castro kidnapped Eric and tortured him for several days. Since Eric wasn’t caving to marry Freyda among other new business’ financial changes, Felipe decided to use me as an incentive,” Pam said while she took off her tennis shoes which I didn’t realize she was wearing until now. This was the first time I have ever seen her wearing tennis shoes. She removed the left sock carefully and extended her feet towards me. “He cut off my toes with a saw that had a hard toothed edge made out of silver. Needles to say, the silver poisoned me the same way it did to Bill. Eric has been feeding me his blood to help with the healing.”

I couldn’t be any more shocked. “What did he do to Eric?” I asked, scared of her answer.

“I’ll start from the beginning,” Pam said and I took a deep breath for what was coming. Pam delivered the story without sugar coating it. As a matter of fact, she went on with lots of details to emphasize the reasons for Eric’s absence. Pam told me everything: Eric’s torture, her agony of not knowing where he was, her pain seeing him defeated because of her. “Eric was kept prisoner and Felipe de Castro used me as leverage. He would have come for you next had Eric not succumb to their wishes.”

“So Eric accepted to marry her,” I thought out loud.

“He had to. He’s protecting you.”

“I see that. I don’t like this. We need to come up with a plan,” I said.

“Eric will kill me if he knows I told you this. You knowing this will get you in danger, and Eric won’t forgive me for several centuries.”

“Then, Eric won’t know, but I’ll think of a plan,” I said.

“I don’t want Eric to be miserable. He would make our lives miserable too. Two hundred years is a long time,” Pam said.

“I want the king dead. And her too,” I said absent minded.

“Then, I’m in.” Pam said with her fangs down, ready for battle. “A few centuries of Eric’s anger will be worth it if we get to kill them both.”

“Let’s think of a plan to save Eric and to kill the King and the Queen.”

We spent several hours discussing our options, but we couldn’t come up with a good plan. Eventually, Pam left before Eric return from his meeting with the King. I learned he was in NOLA in a last minute trip per the King’s demand. That explained why he had not visited me yet. Eventually, I went to bed thinking of a plan and I was coming back blank.

                                                                   ~~~~

I woke up with my heart beating fast as if a sledge hammer was pounding on it, “I got it!”

  

 **Note** : Will Sookie’s plan work?  Can she save Eric? Continue reading to find out!  Reviews are more than welcome. Let me know your thoughts! 


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I am not the owner of these characters. The original story and the characters belong to Charlaine Harris. I am only borrowing them for a little while.    

 **Chapter 12**  

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**Sookie’s POV**

I woke up with my heart beating fast as if a sledge hammer was pounding on it, “I got it!”

I realized I woke up shouting those words and immediately checked the house. The lack of brain activity told me I was alone in the house. The sun was bright and shiny and I wondered if I was late for work. A quick glance at the clock told me that I had to rush or else I wouldn’t make it on time. Sam wouldn’t fuss at me, but I knew he needed me because he was two waitresses short without the possibility of replacement any time soon.

I jumped in the shower and got dressed as fast as I could while elaborating my plan in my head.

“Pam will be impressed”, I talked to myself out loud. Heck, I was impressed with the idea!

I went to work and took orders and refilled the drinks absent minded. My brain was too busy to bother listening to people’s thoughts, but of course Sam noticed it, “Sookie, is everything ok?” he asked.

I tried to give him a convincing smile accompanied with a “yes,” but Sam knew better.

“Is Eric still too busy for you?” Sam asked. He wanted to stir my anger against Eric. I nodded, letting him believe that he had hit the nail on the head.

“Sookie,” Sam started.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” I quickly stopped him. I needed my mind back to planning mood; that was more important.

Instead, I continued working my shift quietly. Sam didn’t comment any further, and I didn’t offer any information.

I was dead tired by the time my shift was over; physically and mentally. I went home, took a long hot shower, and sat down in my kitchen table with pen and paper.

After a little while, I felt a presence in my back yard followed by a quick knock on my back door. It was Pam again. She came in and sat next to me. I was about to offer her a bottle of True Blood, but she started talking right away, “Eric came back from New Orleans vivid. He won’t say much, but the little he told me is concerning. He made me sign some legal paperwork where he put Fangtasia and all his assets under my name. He also assigned me the task to protect you from any vampire until you die of old age. Since the king is losing your telepathic services, then Eric must pay for the loss by paying a higher percentage from our revenues; I must continue paying off his debt if Eric meets his final death until the king sees it fit,” Pam explained.

“Eric doesn’t trust the king which is why he trusts you to protect me,” I said. “And he’s saying good bye,” I continued with a knot in my throat.

“He knows the king won’t keep his word,” Pam added.

“He’s expecting to die!” I repeated myself with panic in my voice.

“No. That’s not Eric. He’s planning something and he’s protecting me in case something happens to him. But he won’t share his plans. He got his Viking sword out. Whatever he’s planning will be bloody,” Pam explained.

“The king suspects of our involvement in Victor’s death. Maybe Eric wants to protect us by not involving us,” I stated.

“Which is foolish and suicidal,” Pam expressed my own thoughts.

“I have a plan,” I informed her.

“I have to get back to Eric fast. The king and the queen are in Fangtasia again. Everybody is tense, and Eric put us all on high alert,” Pam said as she walked towards the back door to leave.

“We can talk tomorrow night then. Check your phone at first wake.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“Tomorrow the king dies and so will she if she’s still around.”

Pam’s wide smile showed her extended fangs, “tomorrow will be a great day then.”

“Yes it will be.”

Pam nodded and left immediately. Maybe Eric was calling her through their bond. Or maybe he was timing her. Whatever it was it didn’t matter. Tomorrow was going to be a good day.

I went back to my to-do list, and soon after, I went to sleep. I needed my energy to wake up early in the morning to follow up with my plan.

                                                                  ~~~~

I realized that five hours of sleep was not enough when my alarm clock went off. I didn’t sleep well because my mind refused to stop thinking about Eric, King Felipe de Castro, Pam’s words, Jason, and my future.

Today was the first day for new beginnings and the first thing I needed to do was to change everything about me. I liked my life the way it was, but I had to finally embrace the paranormal world around me with its ups and downs because it wasn’t going to go away. The vampires and their complicated political agenda; the weres and their constant struggle for union and power between packs; the shifters and their disorganized way of approaching life hoping it will be all good; the witches and the wiccans not accepting each other’s powers; the humans, some of them more open minded than others; the fairies who were my family and who knows what was going on with them since my great grandfather closed most portals. Life was complicated.  

The first step was to accept that while I grew up as human, I knew from the very beginning that I wasn’t one of them. I was different. I have refused to accept my telepathic abilities and my fairy bloodline; now, it was time to face it.

“I am a fairy,” I said those words out loud, and for the first time, my undivided attention was on that sentence.

“I am a fairy and Jason is a werepanther.” What puzzled me the most was that I was ok with Jason’s new membership in the werepanther community and for him to change every full moon, but why I couldn’t visualize myself as a fairy? There was a piece of me that clung to the idea of being a simple human and that wasn’t going to change overnight, but I was committed to work on it from now on.

My position with the vampires was complicated because they didn’t regard humans as their equals. As a matter of fact, to many vampires, humans were walking lunch bags ready to be eaten. I had to change that, and the only way to do it was by speaking their language: the language of power.

I had a plan to follow and it started with me calling Jason and apologizing to him. “Don’t worry about me, I like myself. The question is: do you like yourself? Do you accept yourself?” Jason asked me during our long conversation.

“I have fought tiredly over the idea of being the same as everybody else and I know it’s time for me to accept my reality. It’s going to take time to rewire my brain about myself, but I wanted you to know that I love you no matter what. Please forgive me because without knowing it, I hurt you.”

“Sookie, I’m glad you’re coming to your senses. It’s crazy out here and you’re part of that craziness.”

“I know. And it’s going to get crazier. I have a plan to kill King Felipe de Castro and I need your help.”

“Are you out of your mind?”

“Yes.”

A long silence followed that made me doubt myself, but just then Jason added, “As the man of this family, it is my duty to keep you safe. What’s the plan?”

I knew that Jason was going to support my crazy, unstable, unrealistic, and totally suicidal idea. We hung up in the best terms and soon we’ll be partners for the upcoming murder of King Felipe de Castro.  

I was almost done with my second cup of coffee when my cell phone rang, “hello.”

“Sookie? How are you?”

“Quinn?” I couldn’t believe it. “I’m so glad to hear from you.”

“Happy birthday,” he said.

I could feel my lips curve up in an involuntary smile. I have forgotten that today was my birthday. “You remembered!” I said. “Thanks!” I was absurdly pleased. I hadn’t exactly thought Tara would be thinking about my birthday, since she’d just brought twins home from the hospital, and everybody else was very busy with their own problems.

“Hey, a birthday is an important day,” the weretiger said. I hadn’t seen him since Sam’s brother’s wedding. It was good to hear his deep voice.

“How are you?” I hesitated for a moment before adding, “How’s Tijgering?” The last time I’d seen Quinn, he’d just met the beautiful and single one-of-the-last-of-her-kind weretigress. I don’t think I have to draw you a picture.

“I’m… ah… going to be a father.”

Wow. “Way to go!” I said. “So you guy have moved in together? Where are you living?”

“That’s not exactly the way we do it, Sookie.”

“Um. Okay. What’s the tiger procedure?”

“Tiger men don’t bring up their young. Only the tiger mom.”

“Gosh, that seems kind of old-fashioned.” And kind of wrong.

“To me, too. But Tij’s real traditional. She says that when she has the baby, she’ll go into hiding until he’s weaned. Her mom told her that if it’s a boy I might see him as a threat.” I couldn’t read Quinn’s mind over the phone, but he sounded plenty exasperated and not a little resentful.

As far as I knew- and I’d done a little reading on tigers when I was Quinn’s girlfriend- only males who were nto the actual dads were apt to kill tiger cubs. But since this was totally none of my business, I chocked back the indignation I felt on Quinn’s behalf. At least, I tried to.

So she’d used him to get pregnant with a weretiger baby and now she didn’t want to see him anymore?

I told myself sternly, _Not my battle_. (Werewolves were much more modern in their thinking. Even werepantheres!)

Since my silence had lasted too long, I leaped in with both feet.

“Well, I’m so happy that you’ll have a cub, since there aren’t many of you-all left. I guess your mama and your sister are excited?”

“Uh… well, my mom is pretty sick. She brightened up a lot when I told her, but it was just temporary. She’s back in that nursing home. Frannie found a guy, and she took off with him last month. I’m not really sure where she is.”

“Quinn, that’s so tough. I’m really sorry.”

“But I’m raining on your birthday, and I didn’t mean to. I really did call to tell you to have a great day, Sookie. No one deserves it more.” He hesitated, and I could tell there were more words that he wanted to say. “Maybe you could call me sometime?” he asked. “Tell me what you ended up doing to celebrate?”

I tried to do some concentrated thinking in a very short time, but I wasn’t up to figuring out all the cracks and crevices in this tentative overture. “Maybe,” I said. “I hope I do something worth talking about and live to tell the story.”

There was a long moment of silence. “You’re kidding,” he said.

“You know I’m not.”

There was a serious silence.

“You need me to come?”

“Oh, gosh, no,” I said. “I don’t want to get you into more trouble with the king. Are you in good terms with him since you helped him with the takeover?”

“That bastard. He used my family to force me to help him. I had to fight in the pits again to pay him for sending Fannie to your house. And he wants to keep me fighting whenever he feels like it in exchange for leaving my mother in the nursing home.”

“So you aren’t on his side then?”

“Hell no, but my hands are tied for now.”

“Then, in that case yes I need you to come. I’m going to kill the king and I’ll need your help.”

There was another serious silence.

“When are you planning on doing this?”

“Tonight.”

“I’m coming.”

“Be careful. Nobody can see you entering the state.”

“I know.”

That was all it took to get Quinn to head back to Louisiana to help me. This was an unexpected but a great addition to my plan.

I had barely hung up with Quinn when the phone rang again. Sam. “Sook,” he said, “can you come by the bar? We’re short a case of Heineken and two of Michelob, and I need to know what happened.” He sounded pretty snappish. Damn.

“It’s my day off.”

“Hey, you pretty much bought into the business. You gotta pull your share of the weight.”

I mouthed a very bad word at the phone. “Okay,” I said, sounding just as irritated as I felt. “I’m coming. But I’m not staying.”

I strode through the employee entrance as if I were on my way into a bullfight ring. I had too many things to do today and coming to work was not in my list. “Sam,” I called, “you in your office?”

“Yeah, come here,” he called. “I think I found the problem.”

I flung open his office door and everybody in the world shrieked in my face. “Oh my God!” I said, shocked to the core.

After a throbbing moment, I understood that I was having a surprise birthday party.

JB was there, and Terry and his girlfriend, Jimmie. Sam, Hoyt and Holly, Jason and Michelle, Halleigh Bellefleur, Danny and Kennedy. Even Jane Bodehouse.

“Tara had to stay with the babies,” JB said, handing me a little package.

Terry said, “We thought about giving you a puppy, but Jimmie said we better check with you first.” Jimmie winked at me over his shoulder.

Sam held me so tight I thought I’d quit breathing, and I thumped him on his shoulder. “You creep,” I said in his ear. “Missing cases of beer!  I like that!”

“You should have heard your voice,” he said, laughing. “Jannalynn said to tell you she was sorry she couldn’t make it. She had to open at Hair of the Dog.”

Sure, I believed she was really unhappy at not being here. I wonder if Sam knew about Warren and the pack hunting her down. I turned away so Sam wouldn’t see my face.

Halleigh apologized for Andy’s absence, too; he was on duty. Danny and Kennedy gave me a kind of group hug, and Jane Bodehouse gave me a highly alcoholic kiss on the cheek. Michel held my hand for a moment and said, “I hope you have a wonderful year this year. Will you be my bridesmaid?” I grinned wide enough to split my face and told her I’d be proud to stand up with her. Jason wrapped one arm around me and handed me a beribboned box.

“I didn’t expect presents. I’m too old for a present party,” I protested.

“Never too old for presents,” Sam said.

My eyes were so full of tears I had a hard time unwrapping Jason’s gift. He’d given me a bracelet my grandmother used to wear, a little gold chain with pearls set at intervals. I was shocked to see it. “Where was this?” I asked.

“I was cleaning the pie-crust table I got out of the attic, it was pushed way in the back of that shallow drawer, caught on a splinter,” he said. “All I could think was Gran, and I knew you’d wear it.”

I let the tears run out, then. “That’s the sweetest thing,” I said. “The nicest thing you’ve ever done, apart from forgiving me this morning.”

“Here,” said Jane, as eagerly as a child. She put a little gift bag in my hand. I smiled and dug my hand in. Jane had given me five “get a free car wash” coupons from the place her son worked. I was able to thank her sincerely. “I’ll use every one,” I promised her.

Hoyt and Holly had gotten me a bottle of wine, Danny and Kennedy had gotten me an electric knife sharpener, and JB and Tara had regifted me with one of the five slow cookers they’d gotten when they got married. I was glad to get it.    

Sam handed me a heavy envelope. “You open that later,” he said gruffly. I gave him a narrow-eyed look. “All right,” I said. “If that’s what you want.”

“Yeah,” he said. “It’s what I want.”

The celebration was a nice, unexpected surprise which I enjoyed very much. After a little party which included cake and ice cream, everybody returned to their daily activities and I was left alone with Sam.

“Sam, I really want to thank you for this. It was very sweet of you to plan the whole thing,” I told him while I hugged him.

He lingered a little too long and I started to feel uncomfortable, so I pushed back as I continued talking, “Now that we are alone, I would like to talk to you about my plan to kill King Felipe de Castro.”

His shocked expression was priceless. He sat down behind his small desk and stared at me for a whole minute. He tried to say something twice, but decided not to. “Say something,” I said because the silence was killing me.

“Why would you go to such extents for Eric when he clearly don’t value you or your efforts,” Sam asked me.

“You don’t know the whole story. Besides, the king has the upper hand over Eric at the moment. I need to step up and defend what’s mine.” My possessive tone left Sam without the opportunity to question my decision any further.

“He doesn’t deserve it, but it’s your choice cher. What’s your plan?” Sam asked. We spend the following two hours discussing it. He gave me good pointers and now I needed to add a few details to it.    

It was late afternoon by the time I was out of Merlottes and I decided to go home. I unlocked the screen door, crossed the porch, unlocked the kitchen door, and went inside with my armful of presents.

I checked my to-do list while drinking a cup of coffee. Then, I texted Pam “ _Get ready for tonight,”_ along with a list of instructions.    

My plan had proven to be a little bit more complicated than I thought, but it was going to work. No matter what, I was going to remove the king and queen out of my way.

I wondered where Quinn was coming from. Was he in Texas? Or maybe New Orleans? I decided to not worry about him. He was going to be here soon enough. “I don’t need to worry about it,” I repeated to myself while I sipped coffee.

“What are you worried about? Claude asked.

I screamed, and my coffee mug went flying.

  


**Note** : I hope you’re enjoying the story. I think that CH didn’t treat Quinn properly in the books. Having a complicated family doesn’t make him a bad person. Besides, his story is nowhere near done yet. Continue reading to find out what I have in store for him!  Reviews are more than welcome. Let me know your thoughts!   


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I am not the owner of these characters. The original story and the characters belong to Charlaine Harris. I am only borrowing them for a little while.    

 **Chapter 13**  

\-----------------------------

**What’s Claude up to? Let’s see…**

**Sookie’s POV**

I screamed, and my coffee mug went flying.

When I could speak, I said, “You. Do. Not. Do. That. To. Me.” He must have come in through the unlocked front door. He had keys, anyway, but I would have heard then in the lock and had some warning.

“Cousin, I’m sorry,” he said contritely, but I could see the amusement in his eyes.

“Claude,” I said, “things haven’t been going well while you were gone.” I struggled to make my voice level. “Some of your fae workers have been restless.”

Claude poured himself a cup of coffee and pulled out a chair. His actions weren’t threatening, but I was looking at the man who’d sent Kym Rowe to her death; for all I knew, he was the one who’d killed her when she hadn’t gotten Eric to do the job. Claude’s sudden reappearance – without Niall – would have been enough to raise the hair on my arms if I hadn’t known about his collusion with Jannalynn.

Why had Claude returned by himself? There was something in his face that hadn’t been there before. I needed time to think what to do next; yet, I didn’t have any.  

“Where is Niall?” I asked, picking up my mug, which amazingly hadn’t broken. After I put it in the sink, I got a wad of paper towels to mop up the spoiled coffee.

“Still in Faery,” Claude said.

“Why?” I asked him suspicious, “Did Niall get the letter I sent?”

“I don’t know,” Claude said.  

I was bewildered. “I thought you went back with Niall to investigate who’d cast the crazy spell on Dermot,” I said. “He’s been spending lots of nights at the club and trying real hard to keep things running.” I was frightened for myself, of course, but I was frightened for Dermot too. I hoped Dermot was awake by now; Claude wouldn’t take my word for it that Dermot wasn’t there. He’d go up to check.

“So what have you been doing in Faery? Did you ever find out who cast the spell?”

“Niall and I have had some disagreements,” Claude said, his beautiful dark eyes flashing up to meet mine. “I’m sorry to say that Niall believes it was me who cursed Dermot.”

I was left with no response, since I was by now pretty sure myself that Claude was the culprit. “I think that’s awful,” I said, with absolute sincerity. He could take it as he chose.

Dermot came down the stairs at that moment, “Did I hear Claude’s voice?”

“Yes, he’s home,” I said, in what hoped was a natural voice.

When he saw me, Dermot’s blue eyes, so like Jason’s, widened in shock. I guess my voice wasn’t even after all.

“Claude,” he called. “Where have you been? The other fae are champing at the bit to hear your news.” He started toward the kitchen, but he met Claude coming into the living room.

“Dermot,” said Claude. His voice was so cold it stopped Dermot dead.

“What’s wrong? Why have you returned without Father?” Dermot said.

“Grandfather has issues he must deal with,” Claude snarled. “In Faery.”

“What did you do?” Dermot asked. He was brave. “What did you do, Claude?”

“I thought that when I went back with him, I would find support for our program,” Claude said.

Uh-oh. I didn’t like the sound of that. I took two more steps to my left. What should I do? Dermot wasn’t armed. He was wearing sleep pants and no shirt.

My shot gun was in the closet by the front door. Maybe the closet should be my goal.

“And you didn’t?” Dermot said. “I’m not sure what program you mean, Claude?”

“You naïve simpleton,” Claude said scathingly. “How hard have you worked at ignoring what was going on all around you, so you could stay with us?”

Claude was just being mean now. “Claude Crane, you are just being an asshole,” I exploded. “And you shut up right now!”

I’d succeeded in startling Claude, and he turned his gaze on me for just a second, but Dermot took advantage of that second to hit Claude as hard as he could, which proved to be plenty hard. Claude lurched to his right, and Dermot kept punching. Of course, the element of surprise was gone after the first blow. Claude had another skill besides stripping. He could fight dirty.

The two launched into it, two beautiful men doing something so ugly I could hardly bear to watch.

Right at that moment my back door flew open and Bellenos bounded through my kitchen and down the hall. He had a true sword in his hand, instead of his deer-hunting spear. Gift was with him, long knives in both her hands. Three more of the Monroe fae were with them: two of the strippers, the fairy “policeman” and the part demon who’d worn leather when he’d come onstage. The curvy ticket taker followed. She hadn’t bothered with looking human today.

“Help Dermot!” I yelled, hoping that was they’d come to do. To my overwhelming relief, they whooped with excitement and threw themselves into the brawl. There was a lot of unnecessary punching and biting, but when they were sure Claude was subdued, they all began laughing. Even Dermot.

“Would someone tell me what’s going on?” I asked. I felt (as usual with the supes) two steps behind the crowd, and no telepath enjoys feeling that way.

“My dearest sister,” Bellenos said. He smiled that disconcerting smile at me. “Claude was trying to incite us to rebel against Niall,” he said. “Sister, I’m surprised he didn’t try to test your loyalty, too.”

In the meantime, Claude was lying on the floor in a painting, bloody bundle. There was still plenty of fight in him, from the glares he was throwing around, but he was so clearly outnumbered that it seemed he’d given up… at least temporarily. The ticket taker sitting on his legs, and the two strippers were each pinning one arm.

“Well, he wouldn’t have gotten very far!” I said. “I would have thrown him out in a New York minute!”

“Then see, that was intelligent of you, Claude,” said Bellenos, bending over to speak to Claude face-to-face. “One of the few intelligent things you did.” Claude glared at him.

Dermot shook his handsome head. “All this time I thought I must try to emulate Claude, because he had been so successful out here in the human world. But I realized that when he thought people were pleased with him, he didn’t perceive that it was only because he is beautiful. Much more often, when he talked to people, they came to regard him with dislike. I couldn’t believe it, but he’d done well in spite of himself, not because of his own talents.”

“So… Claude really was locked out of Faery, along with you-all? That wasn’t a lie?” I asked.

“No, not a lie,” said Dermot sadly. “My father hated me because he thought I’d always worked against him. But I was cursed. I thought he’s done the cursing, but I see now it must have been Claude all along. Claude, you betrayed me and then kept me trotting behind you like a dog.”

Claude began to speak in another language, and then the fae moved with an unbelievable speed. Gift yanked off her bra top, and Harley stuffed it in Claude’s mouth. It would have been petty of me to take any notice of Gift’s bare chest, so I rose above it.

“That was a secret fairy language?” I hated to ask, but I just wanted to know. My days of ignorance were over.

Dirk nodded. “We speak to each other that way; it’s what we have in common: full fairy, demon, angel, and the half-breeds.” That was another thing I was in disadvantage.

“Dermot, did you and Claude really come here because of my fairy blood?” I asked Dermot. Claude’s mouth was otherwise occupied.

“Yes,” Dermot said uncertainly. “Though Claude said there was something here that attracted him, and he spent hours when you were gone searching your house. When he couldn’t find what he wanted here, he thought perhaps it was in the furniture you sold. He went to that shop and broke in to examine all the furniture again.”

I felt a little bubble of rage float to the top of my brain. “Though I was nice enough to let him live with me. He searched my house. Went through my stuff. While I was gone.”

Dermot nodded. From the guilty glance he gave me, I was pretty damn sure Claude had enlisted my great-uncle in his search.

“What was he looking for?” Harley asked curiously.

“He sensed a fairy object in Sookie’s house, a fairy influence.”

They all looked at me, simultaneously, with sharp attention.

“Gran- you-all know my fairy blood comes from my grandmother and Fintan, right?” They all nodded and blinked. I was sure glad I hadn’t been trying to keep that secret. “Gran was friends with Mr. Cataliades, through Fintan.” They nodded again, more slowly. “He left something here, but when he stopped by a few days ago, he picked it up.”

They appeared to accept that pretty well. Claude trashed on the floor. Clearly, he wanted to put in his two cents’ worth, and I was glad the bra was in his mouth.

“Claude, I know you tried to sabotage me and Eric. But I don’t know why.”

Dirk raised interrogative eyebrows. Did I want him to remove the gag?

“Maybe you can just let me know if I get something right,” I suggested, hoping that the gag stayed in. “Did you go to Jannalynn for help because you wanted to enlist a shifter of some kind?”

Glaring at me, Claude nodded.

“Who’s that?” Dermot whispered, as if the air would answer him.

“Jannalynn Hopper is the second of the Long Tooth pack in Shreveport,” I said. “She’s been dating my boss, Sam Merlotte. But she hates me, which is a long story for some other time, though it’s pretty boring. Anyway, I knew she’d love to do me a bad turn if she could. And the young woman who got murdered in Eric’s front yard turned out to be half-Were with a death wish and severe financial problems, ripe for a desperate plan, I figure. Claude, you have her some of your blood to make her alluring to Eric, I think?”

The fae all looked absolutely aghast. I couldn’t have said anything more abhorrent to them. “You gave your sacred blood to a mongrel?” hissed Gift, and kicked Claude heartily.

Claude closed his eyes and nodded.

Maybe he wanted them to kill him on the spot. Kym Rowe hadn’t been the only person to develop a wish to die.

“So I get how you did it… but why? Why did you want Eric to lose control? What benefit to you?”

“Oh, I know that one!” Dermot said brightly.

I sighed. “Maybe you would explain.”

“Claude told me several times that if we could get Niall to return to your side, we could attack him here in the human world, where he wouldn’t be surrounded by his supporters,” Dermot said. “But I ignored his scheming. I was sure Niall wouldn’t return and couldn’t return, because he was firm in his resolution to stay in Faery. But Claude argued that Niall loves you so much that if something happened to you, he’d come to your side. So he tried to ruin Eric, thinking that at best you and Eric would fight and Eric would hurt you. Or you’d be arrested for murdering him, and you’d need your great-grandfather. At the very least, you would throw Eric aside and your misery would bring Niall running.”

“I was pretty miserable,” I said slowly.

“And here I am,” said a voice I recognized. “I have come in response to your letter, which opened my eyes to many things.”

He was glowing. My great-grandfather hadn’t troubled with his human appearance, either. The white-blond hair floated in the air around him. His face was radiant, his eyes like fairy lights on a white tree.

The little cluster of fae in my living room fell to their knees.

He put his arms around me, and I felt his incredible beauty, his terrifying magic, and his crazy devotion.

There was nothing human about him yet it made me feel warm and loved. This feeling was something I was starting to get used to. Being around the fae.

He put his mouth right by my ear. “I know you have it,” he said.

Suddenly we were standing in my bedroom instead of the living room. “You gonna take it?” I asked, in the smallest possible voice. Those were fae in the living room. They might hear.

“Don’t even show it to me,” he said. “It was from my son to his loved one. He intended it for a human. It should stay in human hands.”

“But you really, really want it.”

“I do, and I have very poor impulse control.”

“Okay. No looks.” I was trying to relax; I had so many questions for him. “What will happen to the fae in my living room?”

“I will take them with me,” Niall said. “I have taken care of a lot of things while Claude was with me. I never let him know what I already understood about him. I know what happened to Dermot. I have forgiven Dermot.”

Okay, that was good.

“Will you close Faery?  For good?”

“No,” he whispered, his lips again uncomfortably close to my ear. “You have not asked if your lover know that you have the … object.”

“He does?” I was shocked. More than shocked.

“Yes. I told him. Would you like to know why?” Niall said inaudibly.

“Yes.”

“You need to know.” His arms grew uncomfortably tight around me. I made myself relax against him. The brilliant eyes bored into mine. “You had to know what would happen if he believed you had power,” he said.

“Please tell me you didn’t engineer the whole Appius thing?” That would be more than I could bear.

“No. Eric is unfortunate in that people feel the need to take him down a peg, including his own maker. The Roman wanted to keep control over so vital a being even after his own death, which became far more likely once he turned the child. So unstable. Appius Livius Ocella made mistakes in his whole long existence. Perhaps changing Eric was his finest hour. He created the perfect vampire. Eric’s only flaw is you.”

“But…” I couldn’t think of what I’d been about to say.

“Of course, that’s not how I perceive it, dearest. You are the one right impulse Eric has had in five hundred years or more. Well, Pam is all right. Even Eric’s other living child does not rival her maker.”

“I still hate Ocella. I hate King Felipe de Castro. I hate that vampire queen that is trying to steal him from me.”

Niall looked at me with concern, love, and understanding. But didn’t say anything.

“So you knew Appius?”

“We met. He was a stinking Roman asshole.”

“True.”

“I was glad when he died. Out in your front yard, wasn’t it?”

“Ah. Yes.”

“The ground around your house has become soaked with blood. It will add to its magic and fertility.”

“What is this magic that I keep hearing about? Would you explain it to me?” I asked him.

“Your magic will manifest when you finally accept yourself and your blood.”

I didn’t know what to say. After a few silent seconds I continued, “What happens now?” I said because I simply couldn’t think of what else to say.

He lifted me and carried me out of the bedroom like I was a baby. It didn’t feel like the times when Eric had carried me, which had had a definitely carnal edge. This was incredibly tender.

He put me on the couch as careful as if I were an egg. “This is what happens next,” he told me. He turned to the other fae, still on their knees. Claude had stopped thrashing and was looking up at Niall with resignation. For the moment, Niall ignored his grandson.

“Do you all want to go home?” he asked the others.

“Yes, Prince,” said Dirk. “Please, with our kindred waiting at Claude’s club? If we may? If you will.”

Dermot said, “With your blessing, I’ll stay here, Father.”

For a moment they all looked at Dermot incredulously, as if he’d just announced he was going to birth a kangaroo.

Niall folded Dermot to him. I could see Dermot’s face, and it was ecstatic and frightened; everything I had felt in Niall’s embrace. Niall said, “Let’s go home first and we will discuss about this later. I would like to spend time with my son.”

The conflict on Dermot’s face was painful to see. “Sookie,” he said, “who can finish your upstairs work?”

“I’ll hire Terry Bellefleur,” I said. “He won’t be as good as you, Dermot.”

“I can’t live without my essence, and I am your son, Niall.”

Niall beamed down at Dermot, which was what Dermot had wanted his whole life.

I went to him and hugged him. I even started crying, which I hadn’t expected. They all kissed me, even Bellenos, though I felt his teeth scrape lightly on my cheek, and I felt his chest move in a silent chuckle.

Niall made some mysterious signs over my head and closed his eyes, just like a priest giving a blessing. I felt something change about the house, the land, and me.

And then they were gone. Even Claude.

I was stupefied. Something felt off and I couldn’t put my finger on it. What did Niall do? 

The alarm on my phone went off, and I gasp at how fast time has gone. I left my presents on top of the kitchen table and rushed out of the house. The sun was still out, but not for much longer. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath; I enjoyed the sun’s sweet smell and the sunlight felt good on my skin.

My heart pounded so hard; my hands shook out of the fear I was trying to control and failing miserably. From time to time my foot was too heavy on the gas which forced me to keep an eye on the speedometer. I had to fight the urge to speed up because I knew that if I didn’t hurry up, I was going to miss the opportunity to kill King Felipe de Castro.

 

 **Note** : I made changes to this whole Claude scene and the conversation between Niall and Sookie to set up the direction of our story. I also added several important clues here, now let’s execute the plan! After reading this chapter, my only question is: Are you sure you’re ready for what’s coming up next? *evil smile*


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I am not the owner of these characters. The original story and the characters belong to Charlaine Harris. I am only borrowing them for a little while.    

 **Chapter 14**  

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**Sookie’s POV**

My heart was in my throat as I walked into Merlottes. It was closed for the rest of the day, per my request. I didn’t want to hurt Sam financially, but there was no other way. I was going to make sure Eric compensated him properly.

While Merlottes was closed to the public, it was full of people. People I have called in. Some of them agreed to come while others I had to persuade them. Whatever the reasons, I didn’t care. All I cared was that they were here.

It was late in the afternoon and some of them had to take time off work to be here. Like Jason who was one of those people that were happy to be here today.

I looked around and all the remnants from my surprise party had been cleaned out. I grabbed a napkin from the nearest table and held it tight in my sweaty hands in an attempt to dry them off. I took a few deep breaths; I had to do this.

I took the lead and positioned myself in the middle of the diner to get everybody’s attention. Everybody stopped talking and all eyes were on me, literally.

“Thank you for coming. I know some of you aren’t thrilled with this, especially because it involves saving Eric and some of you don’t approve of him. And that’s fine. Because like I told each one of you over the phone, you’re doing this for me. I have done many things for all of you without asking anything in return, and now it’s time to think about me,” I said.

“You will always be an honorary member of the pack and you can always count on us,” Alcide said. His pack members stood beside him for whatever was to come.  

“You’re my sister and I’ll do anything for you,” Jason said. He was still wearing his working clothes, but I knew he was going to change before the fight to black clothes. As a matter of fact, everybody was wearing black tonight. “ _It was the best color to fight in the night_ ,” some of them had said.   

“We have had our disagreements, but we will stand by you in moments of need. That’s the Hotshot’s way,” Calvin said. He was accompanied by four other were-panthers from Hotshot that I have seen before. They didn’t look too happy to help, but they had to suck it up. I nodded in agreement with Calvin’s statement.

“Our adventures have always been interesting. Let’s add one more to our list,” Quinn the were-tiger said. He was just as handsome and lethal as the last time I saw him. His purple eyes met mine and I smiled remembering our multiple life threatening experiences. He smiled his perfect smile and continued, “Besides, killing Felipe de Castro is on top of my to-kill list.” I smiled at his statement. Felipe de Castro has abused his power to threaten Quinn’s family too many times. I wouldn’t like to be in Quinn’s bad side; he was a powerful were-tiger.  

“I’m one of those that don’t agree with this, and I’ll never lift a finger to help Eric. I’m doing this for you, Sookie,” Sam said. I nodded acknowledging his statement. He was still wearing Merlotte’s uniform, long jeans and the Merlotte’s t-shirt, and I didn’t know if he was planning on changing. I was more than aware of his dislike for Eric. Yet, he had no other choice but to accept my decision. Eric was my man. End of the story.

I knew it wasn’t fair for me to ask this much from them, but I was desperate. Alone, I didn’t stand a chance.

The one person I wasn’t expecting showed up out of nowhere. I couldn’t help to feel this happy to see him. He entered Merlottes and everybody stopped moving.

I looked around me in disbelief, “everybody is frozen; you stopped time!” I said shocked. I was more than shocked. “I didn’t know you could do that.”

“Great granddaughter,” he said as he hugged me tight.

“Great grandfather, I thought I wasn’t going to see you again anytime soon,” I replied.

“How could I miss the opportunity to see you shine? You, the leader you were meant to be. It gives me great pleasure to witness this moment, and of course we will fight with you,” Niall said as Bellenos and the three other fairies that helped control Claude in my house walked in. Yet, they stood near the entrance.

“You will? But there will be vampires and I don’t want to risk your lives,” I stated.

“We will be there but out of sight from the others. Besides, I had to see you again before this battle started to let you know that I switched Claude’s magic with yours.”

“What do you mean? Do I have magic now?”

“You always had magic, but your magic was limited because you aren’t full blooded. Now you have more. A gift, with my love.”

I gasped. “I don’t know what to say.”

He smiled. I could feel warmth coming from him; I could feel his love.

“For how long do I have Claude’s magic and how do I use it?”

“For as long as you live. Claude won’t need it again anyway. I will teach you how to use it but at a better time. Right now time isn’t on our side. Be careful my great granddaughter and I love you,” he said. He kissed my cheek very softly and then he was gone, and so were the other fairies. A second later, everybody in the diner continued moving as if nothing had just happened.

Whoa, I wondered what the limit of my great grandfather’s magic was! 

Everybody was just staring at me, waiting for me to continue, and I have forgotten what I was saying before Niall’s visit.

“As I was saying, you already know the reasons to be here and the plan is simple: together we’re going to kill King Felipe de Castro and his minions. I’m also going to kill a female vampire that is threatening my marriage to Eric.”

“What?” Calvin reacted surprised.

“What marriage?” Alcide asked confused.

“Yes, for those that didn’t know, Eric and I are married under vampire law. We have been married for a while. Whether you agree with it or not it’s not for you to decide. It’s done. Now, let’s get to the details of our tonight’s attack. The sun is almost gone and the vampires will be up soon afterwards. Pam and several of Eric’s people will join us here. They’ll be part of the attack team too. We will work together, an alliance among all of us. We will join our strengths and we’ll protect each other’s weaknesses.” I said with a firm voice.

I turned around slowly, facing everybody who was sitting around me. It was crucial for all of us to be on the same pace.

The entrance door behind me opened and I turned towards our late visitor. Mr. Cataliades was wearing his most presentable suit. It was so contradicting to our last encounter where he was running for his life. Today, he owned the place. His presence inspired authority.

“Mrs. Stackhouse,” Mr. Cataliades looked at me intensively and then he continued, “You have magic. Your aura is brighter.”

I didn’t know what to say to his comment. “Mr. Cataliades, we meet again,” I replied, not sure if this was a good thing. This meeting was too important and it was imperative, my today’s new word, to coordinate our attack.

“And that is why I’m here,” Mr. Cataliades replied after reading my mind. “I have somebody that is interested to join your plan,” Mr. Cataliades said.

“And I have an offer you won’t be able to resist,” said the vampire who one second ago wasn’t here.

I gasped and almost fell from the impression. I was lucky enough to be standing next to a table with an empty chair. I was tempted to sit down.  

“Queen Sophie Anne,” I whispered and I let go the air I didn’t know I was holding.

“I’m not a queen anymore, but that will change tonight,” she stated as a matter of fact.

“Your highness,” Quinn said catching up his breath. She nodded at him and to everybody else.

“But you died,” I whispered in disbelief. “Mr. Cataliades told me that the new king had killed you.”  I remembered him telling me the news and I wondered how things were going to change. If only I had known at that time about this mess…

She gestured for me to follow her and we went to Merlotte’s parking lot. “His loyalty to me is unbreakable,” she said once we were discretely separated from the impatient crowd that wondered what was going on. “I have been around for a long time as you already know,” she continued, “and I followed up with my bloodline every century or so. In two different occasions I met two descendants that looked like me. I turned them and kept them close to me. I had sent Sigebert to find one of them who were in hiding and bring her back to where we were hiding when Felipe de Castro intercepted them. He killed her. Sigebert escaped Felipe de Castro’s takeover and returned to me. He was angry for what had happened and wanted revenge. I told him it was foolish to do anything while I was still recovering from my injuries, but he didn’t wait. I don’t know how, but he found his true death,” her sad voice brought back the memories when I ran over Sigebert with my car to save Felipe de Castro and Eric.

This conversation couldn’t happen. What would she do if she knew the truth? Yup, couldn’t happen. She looked at me puzzled and it scared me even more. “Is the other one still alive?” I asked in a desperate attempt to change the topic.

“Yes.” She replied while looking at me with suspicion.

“Your legs…,” I said.

“And I have reinforcements too,” Sophie Anne said as a group of ten vampires suddenly showed up behind her. Her own personal army. “The others are ready to take down all the Sheriffs across the two states.”

I was left speechless as she smiled a smile of triumph.

“I don’t need your help to take back my kingdom.” Sophie Anne said while she turned her head towards Merlottes’ direction and continued, “You have put together an alliance never seen before. So have I. You have all of them fighting for you and that puts you in power. I have also come to an understanding with several kingdoms: Russell Edgington, King of Mississippi; his husband Bartlett Crowe, King of Indiana; and Stan Davis, King of Texas. Our alliance will fortify our three regions. I don’t know how up to date you are with our history of politics. You see, Felipe de Castro belonged to a different section and his attack has been perceived as a provocation to several kingdoms. Queen Freyda has no business in this area, so I suspect she’s using Eric and the whole marriage thing as a distraction and Felipe de Castro hasn’t noticed yet. He’s too absorbed in his narcissistic world. Whether I’m right or not, I won’t take any chances. We have different motives with the same ending goal. However, I would be willing to spare Eric and his subjects as long as you and all of them swear filth to me.”

Leave it to Sophie Anne to make a business deal with me while threatening my life; all in one sentence.  

Her proposition was very tempting and for unknown reasons Eric liked her while she was his queen. The problem was she wanted to use me for her benefit. But so did every vampire in power.

Besides, she was going to attack tonight with or without me. Maybe it would be best to sit back and let her eliminate Felipe de Castro. But what if she changed her mind at the last minute and killed Eric? I didn’t want to risk his life, or Pam’s. As well as the lives of those fighting for me tonight.

What if Eric didn’t want to serve her? I couldn’t force him.

What if, at the end of the night, these vampires decided to betray us?

I couldn’t let that happen. She stared at me, waiting for my reply. I could tell she was trying to read my internal monologue. I nodded to her and gestured her to follow me while I returned to Merlottes. Everybody was silently waiting for us and I wouldn’t be surprised if they were listening to our conversation. Oh well….

We went back and Sophie Anne stood next to me with her entourage right behind her. Now Merlottes was fully packed and I wondered how much longer for this peace to be over. This was a volatile meeting for sure.    

“If we fight together you must guarantee me Eric’s safety as well as every vampire under his command. They must have the choice to swear to you, but if they don’t want to, then they must be allowed to leave the area without consequences,” I demanded.

“That’s reasonable, even though that is more than what King Felipe de Castro gave my subordinates,” she replied.

“And that’s why we are planning his death. He’s abusive, arrogant, and he doesn’t care about his subordinates,” I stated as a matter of fact. Images of Pam’s torture crossed my mind and I couldn’t imagine Eric’s conditions.

“Queen Sophie Anne’s word is sacred and Eric could testify of this,” Mr. Cataliades said.

“Also, the lives of everybody in this room will be respected and they are not to swear filth to you. Once this fight is over, they will be free to go and do as they please,” I demanded again.

“Of that you have my word,” Sophie Anne replied.

“Also, my marriage with Eric will be respected for as long as we both decide to stay together. You won’t interfere and won’t allow another vampire to interfere in my marriage to Eric.”  I wanted to make sure this part of the deal was crystal clear. This was the main reason I wanted to kill Felipe de Castro and Freyda. If Sophie Anne didn’t agree to this, then she was going to join my “to kill” list. Her noncompliance to my marriage was a deal breaker.

Sophie Anne nodded, “You have my word.”

“What is in for you, joining forces with us?” I asked. If there was something I have learned since I met Bill was that every vampire had their own personal agenda.

“Your group working together with mine would ensure our lifelong prosperity and would deter others from crossing us. I’m sure you would enjoy living a peaceful life next to Northman, wouldn’t you? I also want Eric working for me again and it would be easier if you are already onboard.  And I want your gift to be of my service.”

So she was planning on using me to bribe Eric. I knew there was more for her, but I was sure this was the most I was going to get from her.

“My gift will be used in a limited basis, as I see it appropriate. I won’t be at your beckon call. Eric and I will discuss about it and will let you know our conditions,” I stated as a matter of fact. She stared at me, but didn’t reply.

I turned around, facing everybody else, “do you agree on this alliance for one night?” I had to have their approval in this decision. I was already making them fight with me so I didn’t want to feel guiltier than I already felt.

“It’s your choice sis,” Jason replied. Others looked at each other between their pack members and nodded agreeing with Jason.

Now that I had their approval, I turned to face Sophie Anne again, “I also want two hundred acres of land adjacent to Fangtasia under my name. Your gift to me. Eric will draft out terms of joining your kingdom once this fight is over. He can add whatever he deems necessary,” I stated and after a few seconds she nodded in agreement.  

“Then, we’re in. Let’s kill the king and the queen.” I never thought those words would ever come out of my mouth. I have read them in several of the novels from the library, but never in my wildest dreams imagined that to be part of my real life.

Her fangs extended instantly, “lets,” she said and the look of revenge on her face sent chills down my spine. The delicate, sophisticated Sophie Anne was gone and this female vampire that stood in front of me scared me.

Amazingly, we got down to planning the attack. Alcide and Quinn grabbed two tables and put them together in the middle of the diner turning them into an unofficial planning table. Others brought dirt from the parking lot, small rocks, sticks, and whatever objects they put their hands on. Alcide, Sophie Anne, Quinn, Calvin, Jason, and I stood around the two tables and everybody else rounded up behind us. We recreated the inside of Fangtasia and even the contours of the surrounding buildings passed Fangtasia’s property limits, which included the main road in the front and a small subdivision with two small roads in the back. There was nothing on the sides except an old, abandoned building on one side. Everybody was going to park their cars on that subdivision which was close enough without blowing up their cover. The element of surprise was the key factor for us to win.         

The leaders of each group pretty much called the shots based on their group’s skills, but everybody contributed their knowledge and gave their opinions when they thought something was not right. I was glad that, at least for tonight, we were all getting along with one goal in mind. The plan was risky, but the results were worth it.

The strategies kept changing, but one thing was set in stone: we were going to attack an hour before dawn. That way Felipe de Castro won’t have time to call for backup and we would have daylight to our advantage.  

Something that bothered me was that Sam kept going back and forth to his office, spending more time there than listening to the plans. I decided not to confront him and instead, I put my full attention on the discussions going on. I asked questions and I did my best to keep up with the details. Frustrations grew from time to time, but everybody maintained a civilized position.

Sophie Anne’s vampires switched their attention between the planning team and me. They stared at me in a weird way. Moments like this I wished I could read their minds.

We were very busy planning the different possible outcomes when a newcomer entered Merlottes.

 

 

 **Note** : I know what you’re thinking!  How can Sophie Anne be alive? Well, Sophie Anne explained part of it to Sookie. The other part of the explanation is based on the books itself. Yes, I tried to find a loophole *smiles*

Let’s see: During the takeover, Victor was the one that told Eric that the queen and Sigebert were dead, but we (the readers) never saw it happening. In order for Felipe to become king, he had to kill her himself, and he had to fight Sigebert too because he was always with her. Fact: Sigebert would have died before they got to touch a hair string of hers.  

However, from Felipe de Castro’s point of view, after Eric killed Sigebert in Merlotte’s parking lot:

“Eric, would you care to explain what just happened?” His voice was considerably more acerbic.

“You should ask your crew to explain,” Eric retorted, with some justification. “Didn’t they tell you Sigebert, the queen’s bodyguard, was dead? Yet here he is.”

“An excellent point.” Castro looked down at the crumbling body. (Chapter 19 From Dead to Worse)

So, obviously one of Castro’s men lied to him and let Sigebert escape. How could Felipe fight Sophie Anne but not Sigebert? Let’s assume that the other vampires were fighting Sigebert while Felipe fought Sophie Anne. Wouldn’t Felipe “see” them kill Sigebert? Could it be possible that Felipe was not the one that killed Sophie Anne, but instead it was one of his men during the takeover?

Well, thanks to Sophie Anne’s explanation and for the sake of this story, Felipe killed a vampire that looked like Sophie Anne. Also, we are going to take advantage that since he wasn’t a king, then he never interacted with Sophie Anne nor made business deals with her. Hence, he wasn’t totally familiarized with Sophie Anne’s looks… so then he couldn’t tell the difference.    

What do you think? Do you agree with my explanation and can you “see” the possibility of the loophole?  


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I am not the owner of these characters. The original story and the characters belong to Charlaine Harris. I am only borrowing them for a little while.    

 **Chapter 15**  

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**With Sophie Anne alive, the possibilities are endless!**

**Sookie’s POV**

Pam looked around with a confused face for a whole two seconds and then a smile brightened her face.

“I have been waiting for you and the others that work for Eric to join us tonight. Didn’t you get my text?” I asked her frustrated. She was supposed to be here several hours ago. I texted her while she was still dead to the world with instructions for tonight. “You’re the first one to show up.”

I was starting to worry over her absence, and now, seen her stressed look and unmatched clothes made me realize that something bad happened. Pam eyes went wide opened when she spotted Sophie Anne, “your majesty,” Pam said and her smile widened as far as her facial skin allowed it.

Pam turned to me, “you never cease to amaze me.”

I smiled at her statement. I must say that Sophie Anne’s presence was pure coincidence, but the others… well, I have been very busy since I first met Bill.

“I told you, tonight the king dies for good,” I stated as a matter of fact.

“And here I thought today was not going to be a good day. You’re in luck! They are both in Fangtasia which is driving Eric and all of us crazy. I received your text when I first woke up, but it is impossible to bring Eric’s subordinates here. The king thinks Fangtasia is his new castle and we are at his disposal. Which brings me back to the reason for me to be here; the king is requesting your presence immediately. Just know that Eric has done everything he could to protect you,” Pam said staring into my eyes.

What has Eric done? I breathed deeply trying not to cry.

“Do not leak again,” Pam demanded and she was right. This was the time to fight and not to cry.

I faced Alcide, Calvin, and the others, “It seems that the time to fight is now while they’re still in Fangtasia. I’ll meet with them while you guys make your way there. Pam, make sure all of Eric’s people wear the Fangtasia shirt to distinguish them from the king’s entourage.”

Pam agreed and without further delays we went to her car and off we left. I said all the prayers I ever learned, yet the driving took forever. At least, that’s how it felt to me.

My phone beeped with an incoming text from Alcide, _“we’re five minutes behind you”_ and my tension grew even higher.

“Why does the king want to see me with so much urgency?” I asked Pam. The silence was killing me. I was expecting Pam to drive in a hurry, but to my surprise, she was actually driving to the speed limit.

“Eric has done everything he could to help you. You must keep that in mind,” she replied.

“What did he do?” I asked, scared of the answer.

“Tonight he’s going to divorce you. He has accepted the marriage to Freyda. His decision will keep both of you alive.”

A divorce? What the fuck? “If he wants to divorce me, then why am I doing this?” I asked with a giant bump in my throat.

“He doesn’t want to, but he must. Otherwise, you will not live another day. Neither will he. However, your plan overrides everything. Eric just does not know it yet. He will be pleased.”

The rest of the ride was in complete silence. My heart was breaking into tinier pieces the closer we got to Fangtasia. The bar was closed tonight and only a handful of cars were parked in the back. We parked on the usual employee spot, “remember, tonight will be a great night,” Pam told me and exited the car right away.

Pam opened and closed the trunk, without getting anything from it or putting anything in it.  

She then checked her heels for some dust or something. She brushed the surface of her shoes with her hand to remove dust off them. The problem was that I didn’t see any dust on them. Even though she was wearing non-matching clothes, she wore those heels like a pro. She always did. I wished I looked half as good as she did with them.

I looked at her confused and she gave me a small smile. She was stalling!  Taking her time for the others to arrive.

Eventually we had to go in and a vampire I had never seen before opened the door “your maker has been looking for you,” he said as we walked in.

Pam didn’t reply to him. We just continued our way to Eric’s office. Before entering his office, a vampire gave Pam something and she handed it over to me. It was a familiar black velvet bundle which I unfolded slightly until the knife came to view. The ceremonial blade was gleaming and ornate and sharp, just as I remembered it. I folded the bundle again as Pam opened Eric’s office.

Eric’s office wasn’t big, and it wasn’t grand, but it sure was crowded. The first face I saw was Eric’s and it was a sweet and sour moment. As always, he looked like a hot model from a magazine with a sexy look and a lethal aura that could kill anybody without flinching. He was my vampire Viking. The total package.

There were no visible signs of torture, but I was willing to bet that deep inside he was scarred for life. I didn’t know how I was feeling when I recognized Felipe de Castro and Freyda. I’d been sure they’d be there, but to see both… my heart sank.

The presence of royalty never meant anything good. Even thought my plan was already in the works, I couldn’t help to feel insecure. Felipe was behind the desk, sitting on Eric’s chair, naturally. He was flanked by his right hand, Horst Friedman, and his consort, Angie Weatherspoon. Angie was a leggy redhead I’d hardly exchanged two words with. I’d hate her forever because she’d danced on Eric’s favorite table while wearing spike-heeled shoes.

There was a throw rug in front of the desk. Eric and I had been literally called on the carpet.

“Meees Stekhuss,” Felipe said pleasantly. “How nice to see you again.”

“Hmmmm,” Freyda said, from her chair against the wall facing the door. It seemed she disagreed.

There was a new vampire who was leaning against a wall, expressionless. “This is Karin, my other child,” Eric said.

If I was a golden blonde and Pam was paler true blonde, Karin’s hair was at the ash blond end of the spectrum. It fell in heavy waves down her back. Her face was utterly bare of makeup and utterly lovely. Her lips were narrower than mine, as was her nose, but her eyes were wide and blue. Karin was shorter than me or Pam, but just as curvy.

The biggest difference was not in our features but in our expressions. When I looked into Karin’s eyes, I knew she was a stone-cold killer. All vampires are, but some have more aptitude for it than others. And some take more pleasure in it than others. When Eric had turned Pam and Karin, he’d gotten blond warriors.

If I became a vampire, I’d be like them. I thought of things I’d already done. I shivered.

Karin nodded slightly and I did the same.

“I’ll be right outside,” Pam announced. She took a step back, and then shut the door very firmly.

“Sookie,” Felipe de Castro said, and I saw we’d dispensed with honorifics. “Eric has called you here to release you from your marriage to him.”

It was like being smacked in the face with a large dead fish.

I made myself hold still, made my face freeze. I repeated in my head what Pam had said, that _he had to do this to keep us both alive_ , but still felt a sharp, deep pain, to hear those words out loud.

I didn’t even glance at Freyda. If I saw pity in her face, I would jump her and try to smack her down, whether that meant suicide or not. I hoped she was sneering in triumph, because that would be more tolerable. _Only if she knew what I have for her tonight!_

Looking at Eric’s face was out of the question. Karin approached me, and unfolded the velvet to expose the knife I had forgotten I was holding.

“You just nick yourself on the arm and you say, ‘This is yours no longer,’ to Eric. You hand the knife to Eric,” Karin said with a firm, unattached voice.

I had a momentary impulse to sink the knife into one of the silent hearts around me. I didn’t know which one I’d aim for first: Felipe’s, Freyda’s, or even Eric’s. This situation hurt deeply.

Before I could think of this too much, I closed my eyes and forced myself to get back to the moment. ‘ _This divorce isn’t going to happen.’ ‘They are going to die tonight’_ I kept repeating it over and over in my mind.

Too many voices started to cloud my mind and I realized that they came from my group who were too busy surrounding Fangtasia. I could literally feel them moving around the building. It was confusing; too many thoughts at the same time and a group of empty spaces moving towards the main entrance of the bar.

My heart was pounding fast and I knew that everybody in this room could hear it. _‘Let them think it’s because of their presence or because I’m losing Eric.’_

War was about a minute away, followed by their deaths. Maybe mine too. Maybe I’ll die today too.

I forced myself once again to concentrate on the plan: I had to create a distraction to stall.

I turned my attention to the king who was staring at me, waiting for me to repeat Karin’s words.

“No,” I said and Felipe blinked twice. I could feel Eric’s staring at me, but I just couldn’t look him in the eyes. “I won’t divorce Eric. You think that you are all clever, yet failed to recognize what has been in front of you all this time. How could you ever consider that I was going to let Eric go this easily? He’s MINE and will be until I say so,” I said putting my official claim on him.

He was mine and I was ready to fight for him.

I waved the knife as I spoke and glared at Felipe de Castro, defying him. Maybe I was committing suicide by doing this, but right now I didn’t care.  

Felipe de Castro tilted his head and his expression changed from a civilized king to lethal murderer. “Are you disputing the divorce Sookie?”

“Yes, I am,” I said. I had to stall this moment as much as possible until everybody got ready to attack.

“Do you understand that you can’t force a vampire to stay married to you?” His mocking tone pissed me off.

“But he could force me into marrying him, right?” The truth was that he actually tricked me into marriage without my consent, but I wasn’t going to discuss that here. At least not now.

Felipe raised his eyebrows in disbelief, “You seriously think that you are equal to us.”

Oh no, he didn’t go there!

“At least humans respect each other’s wishes and don’t force each other into unwanted marriages,” I raised my eyebrows too. However, the second those words came out of my mouth, I regretted them. Not because of Felipe, but because of Eric. I didn’t want him to think that I didn’t want to be with him.

“Yet, here you are disputing the dissolution of such unwanted marriage,” Felipe said with his thick Spaniard accent while waving his hands mocking me.

God I hated this man!  

I didn’t dare to look at Eric’s face. I didn’t know if he was angry at my words or if he was hurting. I had to do damage control, but not until after the fight was over.

“I didn’t say it was unwanted, but as equals, I demand my rights to be respected,” I stated in a desperate attempt to change the way this conversation was going.

Felipe de Castro laughed like I never heard him laugh before. Freyda smiled and silently giggled.

Bitch! 

Eric and Karin remained silent. Yeah, he was pissed.

Looking at Freyda I replied as bitter as I could, “what does it feel to buy a husband? Couldn’t you find one that would willingly make the sacrifice?”

Freyda stood up in a millisecond, her fangs fully extended and ready to launch at me. Eric and Karin immediately stood in front of me, ready to stop her.

“No harm will ever come to her,” Eric reminded her.  

She glared at him and then gave me a death sentence look. That look told me everything: an “accident” was going to happen to me real soon.

 _“Sookie. Sookie. We’re ready,”_ Alcide communicated to me with his thoughts.

 _“Sook, we’re ready,”_ Jason followed. 

I smiled slightly and a sense of relief covered my soul for about one full second followed by deep anxiety at the realization of those words… _‘This was it’_  

And that was the moment when hell broke loose… literally! 

A loud commotion came from the bar area. A vampire burst into the office, “we are under attack!” and stood there guarding the door and Felipe. I recognized him as part of Felipe’s personal guards. He was always at arm-length from Felipe. I didn’t know how old was he, but I was guessing not too old since everybody that supported Felipe was within a couple of centuries old. Eric was the only one in the entire kingdom that was as old as dirt.

Eric, of course, went from a business man to full Viking in less than a second and exited the office with his battle sword on hand; the same sword that Pam had mentioned earlier. I thought Pam had said it as if he had brought it to his office because he was planning something against Felipe; a suicide mission. Maybe my assumption was wrong.   

 _Eric, my Viking_. On the other hand, would it be wrong for me to find his Viking side to be lethal and sexy and the same time? In moments like this, I was happy to be on his side. His opponents better get ready to lose a few body parts before finding their final death.

Karin remained in front of me; my own personal bodyguard.

The king followed Eric and his bodyguard followed right after. Freyda gave me a suspicious look and then left to fight too. A sudden surge of adrenaline followed by anger filled my soul. I wanted it to be me who killed her, so I went after her and Karin followed me too.

I never thought I would ever see the scene in front of me: Fangtasia was a real battleground…   

 

 **Note:** I debated about starting the fight in this chapter and then finishing it on the next one, but I decided against it. I think it’s best to have the entire fight as one chapter. In the meantime, what do you think about this Sookie?  Can you picture her defying Felipe de Castro, even if it was a “suicidal move”?   


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I am not the owner of these characters. The original story and the characters belong to Charlaine Harris. I am only borrowing them for a little while.    

 

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**Sookie’s POV**

Fangtasia was a real battleground with vampires from both teams fighting each other. We had three things in our favor: first, the element of surprise; second, at least here in Fangtasia, we had the numbers; and three, Eric’s people were wearing the Fangtasia t-shirt and that helped with the fight.

Maxwell and Rubio had one of the newcomers surrounded. The newcomer’s shirt was half missing, showing a large tattoo of a siren sitting on a rock by the beach. His stand was lethal. Maybe he was a gym trainer or something along those lines before he got turned into a vampire because he was heavily built up.

Eric was the only one with a sword and he swung it so fast that the only thing I saw was an arm falling near his throne. It followed by a few more swings and more body parts flew across the floor. Eric smiled at his victory, but didn’t kill the now quadruple amputee. Instead, he moved on to fight another vampire.

Freyda, of course, she stood next to Eric, pretending to fight together. I guessed she wanted to show him what ‘together’ would mean with her. Karin stood back to back with Eric and she had two vampires fighting her. To my surprise, one of them was Horst Friedman, Felipe’s right hand man. The second man was Michael who was also one of Felipe’s men.

And I saw it crystal clear, Felipe was going to kill Eric tonight and call it ‘a casualty of war’.

Thalia came from behind them and stabbed Friedman on the back of his neck with a long knife she had acquired from the bar. It didn’t kill him, but it broke his spine and he fell to the ground, unable to move.

“Maxwell and Rubio,” Pam called out loud, “kill the king’s entourage.” She yelled those words loud enough for all of Eric’s subordinates to hear them amid the loud mess of braking tables and bottles. Maxwell and Rubio stopped fighting the siren tattoo guy and turned around in disbelief.

“Now,” she yelled and everything was instantly understood. They stopped fighting the siren tattoo guy, they nodded at each other in an understanding, and turned to fight the king’s guards.

Several werewolves entered Fangtasia and charged against those that didn’t have the Fangtasia t-shirt.

Eric, who was defending the king and Fangtasia, stopped frozen at Pam’s words. He knew the king was going to kill her for treason and that put Eric in a very sensitive position. The vampire that was fighting Eric withdrew his stance and went against another vampire without the Fangtasia t-shirt.

It was at that moment that Sophie Anne entered Fangtasia with four more vampires by her side. Her clothes were stained with blood, but she wasn’t hurt. Her four companions were slightly bloody too, but in good physical health. I didn’t know who was more surprised: Eric or Felipe de Castro.

“Sophie Anne,” Eric said in disbelief.

“Impossible!” claimed Felipe de Castro. “You’re supposed to be dead,” he continued.

“And here I am taking back what is mine,” Sophie Anne said and immediately charged against Felipe de Castro.

Eric looked at me and smiled, and off he went to fight Felipe’s men without mercy.

I had no idea where did the werepanthers and the fairies go because they weren’t inside Fangtasia, but I couldn’t worry about them right now. Especially when Freyda launched at me without prior warning and Pam pushed me out of the way just in time before the deadly punch touched me. Once again, I found myself flying across the room, hitting the steps by Eric’s throne, right by the cut-off limb courtesy of Eric’s sword. The punch that was intended for me landed on Pam’s face so hard that Pam rolled on the floor from the impact. There was no way I would have survived a punch like that.

I didn’t know where Thalia came from, but she kicked Freyda so hard that she flew across the room, breaking one of the seating booths on her way. That move allowed Pam to stand up and continue fighting. Pam’s face was distorted; it was clear her jaw was broken. Yet, she continued engaging Freyda, but her attention was mostly on me. She really wanted to kill me. What she didn’t know was that I wanted her dead too.  

Jason came out of nowhere and grabbed onto Freyda’s neck with his panther’s claws. Luckily, tonight was full moon so he was able to shift as much as nature allowed him. His claws tore off a large chunk of her neck, but she reacted super fast and punched him so hard that send him over the counter at the bar, hitting the liquor shelves by the wall. The bottles burst at the impact and a mix of liquor and broken glass spilled all over the area. Meanwhile, Jason fell flat on the floor. I waited a few seconds, but he didn’t stand up.

“Jason!” I screamed fearing the worse, but I couldn’t get to him because Freyda was once again trying to come at me and Pam was blocking her way.

My anger reached boiling point, and I saw red.

I stood up and grabbed the marriage knife which had fallen off my hands when I hit the floor and turned to face Freyda. My waist area hurt badly and I knew that maybe a broken rib was the cause of it. Karin joined us, and between the three of us surrounded her.

Most of Felipe and Freyda’s entourage was either dead or safely restrained on the floor to prevent interference.

Eric was restraining a vampire, and when he tried to escape, Eric swung his sword and amputated both legs. I guess that vampire won’t be going anywhere anytime soon! 

Sophie Anne and Felipe were savagely fighting. When Felipe de Castro saw that his entourage was done and he was the only one left fighting against Sophie Anne, he ran out of Fangtasia in an attempt to escape. Sophie Anne followed him out. She was determined to win tonight.

Freyda found herself alone; not even Eric tried to help her. So, she followed Felipe as fast as she could. We weren’t expecting that!

“Fuck,” Pam said, and both Karin and Pam left for the chase. I ran as fast as I could which wasn’t really that fast at all because each movement felt as if my body was breaking in half. Maybe I had more than one broken rib. When I reached the parking lot, I saw Pam recovering near an old, thick tree. The tree had a missing chunk on the tree trunk so I could safely assume that Pam got slammed against it.

It was chilly out here and the soft wind dropped the temperature a little bit more. I had to hurry up and find Freyda because the night was close to an end and I couldn’t let her recuperate. If she escaped, then she could ask for reinforcements and that wouldn’t be good. The time to kill her was now.

Even though the night was clear and the full moon illuminated the area pretty good, I couldn’t see Karin or Freyda. It was until I spotted Freyda taking off and Karin right behind her that I learned of their whereabouts. I also learned she could fly too. I wouldn’t be surprised if she added it in her ‘things I have in common with Eric’ list.   

“No!” I yelled full of anger. I raised my hands and brought them together into a tight fist. Something happened, I didn’t know what, but Freyda stopped mid-air, put her hands over her throat as if she was suffocating and plummeted to the ground. Karin did too a few seconds later.

I couldn’t see where they had fallen because it was somewhere in the property next to Fangtasia. Even thought I have never been to this side of the property, I crossed the rusty wired fence and walked as fast as my broken ribs allowed me towards the direction I saw them falling down. I tried to rush, but the dense bushes and the tall trees prevented me from seeing anything pass three feet in front of me. People never crossed this property, so I had to forge my own path with the marriage knife as I carelessly cut whatever bushes were in front of me. I held my breath each time I swung the knife to hold the pain on my ribcage. The humidity of the night made everything wet and slippery. The lower branches got my legs wet at first, but as I walked deeper into it, my clothes got wet too. My hands hurt from time to time as I pushed stubborn branches out of my way.

As soon as I spotted them, I rushed to them and climbed on top of Freyda, pinning her down with my knees. She had slightly started to decompose, but was slowly healing right in front of my eyes. I didn’t want to waste time and I plunged the knife into her heart. She gasped in pain.

“He’s my husband and not you or anybody else will ever take him away from me. Enjoy hell bitch,” I said as I rotated the knife to a full circle motion while inside her heart. I removed the knife and stabbed her again and again until I had done it so many times that there was a large hole on her chest. With the same knife Eric used to marry me, I used it to remove Freyda’s heart piece by piece until there was an empty space. Immediately, her body lost its shape and turned into a pile of guts.

That was the final death of Freyda.

I looked down at my body fully covered with a mixture of my blood and Freyda’s, and for the first time I didn’t feel remorse. I sat down right there; I breathed deeply several times in a futile attempt to stop the pain. A minute later I slowly stood up and turned to return to Fangtasia and stopped frozen in place. Pam, Karin, Eric, Sophie Anne, Bill, Thalia, naked Alcide and two of his pack members, Quinn, and Sam stood there staring at me.

“What?” I asked, but nobody replied.

“Is Felipe de Castro dead?” I asked Sophie Anne.

“I’m wearing his blood on me just like you are wearing Freyda’s,” Sophie Anne replied.

“The ceremonial knife used to marry you to Eric was also used to kill the woman that tried to break said marriage. A queen nothing less,” Bill said.

I guess there was some kind of significance to his words, but it escaped me.

“What did you do and how did you do it?” Karin asked in shock.

“Where’s Jason?” I asked in an attempt to break the ‘let’s stare at Sookie’ spell, and since nobody answered my question, then I slowly walked back to Fangtasia leaving all of them back there in the woods. Eventually, they walked back with me and even helped me with the bushes problem.

In Fangtasia, I went straight to Jason. He was in a lot of pain. Pam offered her blood, but he refused. It was then when Calvin and the other four werepanthers entered Fangtasia in their human form; yes, they were naked. I blinked twice at the view, but it seemed I was the only one affected by the naked men. Opposite to me, vampires have seen this a thousand times.

Calvin got on one knee and inspected Jason’s source of pain. “A broken pelvis,” he said and the four werepanthers grabbed Jason in unison and walked out of Fangtasia. Jason’s painful moaning broke my heart.

Calvin put my hands in between his, “it will take him a little longer to heal because he’s not full blooded, but with the full moon in our favor, he will be back to normal by the night’s end.” He looked me straight to my eyes while he spoke, and I knew I could trust him.

“Thank you,” I whispered and off he left. With the fight over, there wasn’t any reason for them to linger around. I just had to pray really hard that Calvin was right.

I looked around and whatever was left of Felipe de Castro and Freyda’s entourage was either seriously incapacitated or strictly guarded.

Sophie Anne walked in and sat in Eric’s throne as each one of the vampires lined up to pay their respects to her. “There will be a ceremony very soon where we will swear loyalty to her,” Pam whispered to me. I nodded, understanding that my presence will be requested for such event.

Eric was the first one in line and he swore his loyalty to her right there on the spot. I knew he was going to accept the new change of administration. After all, it benefited all of us. Once he was done, he came straight to me and kissed me so deep that I thought his tongue was going to scrap my throat. He tried to lift me, but I hiss from the pain.

“Would you like me to heal you?” he asked not trusting my reply. After all, I was the one that broke our blood bond.

“Yes,” I replied and he lifted his eyebrow. “We need our blood bond back,” I stated as a matter of fact.

He smiled and immediately bit his wrist and offered to me. I drank without hesitation. He closed his eyes as his blood entered my body. The immediate relief I felt on my broken rib was just perfect.

“You need blood too,” I stated and offered my neck. His fangs broke my skin slowly and he leaned against me as he drank my blood, letting me feel his erection. I smiled, wanting him more than ever before. When he was done, he pricked his finger with his fang and healed the small wounds on my neck. He then lifted me in a tight hug and we continued kissing. His kiss was hot and full of energy. His erection pressed against my stomach and I wanted him with every muscle in my body.

“Lover,” he said after breaking up the kiss.

“And wife,” I smiled at his shocked expression. This was the first time I have acknowledged our marriage with total acceptance. He didn’t know this yet, but I was ready to become his wife to the full extent of the vampire law.

“There’s too much we need to talk,” he said while kissing me again. “And I want to fuck you right now,” he said not caring for the many vampire ears around us.

“The sun is about to rise in a little bit, but tomorrow we must talk,” I told Eric.

“And fuck,” he stated boldly.

“Well, that too,” I laughed at his words. “Also, enough procrastinating and leaving things for a later day. From now on, we are going to change many things within our marriage and relationship,” I said.

“Today you showed me so many things. And most importantly, you reminded me the reasons for marrying you in the first place. This mess will never happen again. You have my word lover.”

I smiled at his words because he was promising me the very thing I wanted the most: to be his priority in life.

Eric let me go and moved on to take charge of Fangtasia. After all, he was still the Sheriff of Area five. At that moment Alcide walked in, this time he was dressed and I was thankful for that. He went to Eric, “my people, the panthers, Sam, and Quinn found some vampires hiding in the woods around Fangtasia. They were far enough for us not to smell them, but we found them once we decided to extend our perimeter,” Alcide reported to Eric.

“Are they dead?” Eric asked Alcide.

“Yes,” Alcide replied and Eric nodded in approval.

Eric turned towards one of Felipe de Castro’s ex-guard who was being restrained against the wall by Indira, “Why were they hiding?”

The vampire being questioned knew that he had no other choice but to tell everything. At least, that might save his life. “King Felipe de Castro had requested five vampires from Nevada. They were to hide until the divorce was finalized, and then they were to take your ex-wife back to his Nevada palace. Without being married to you, she would have become the King’s property. He also ordered us to kill you because he had a better offer for Queen Freyda. He wanted to consolidate both kingdoms into one, but he knew that she was infatuated with you and she would not have accepted his business proposal as long as you lived.” 

I almost fell to the floor after hearing such revelations. If I hadn’t planned this attack for tonight, I would have been on the way to Nevada as we speak. My legs were threatening to fail me and it took everything I had to not give up.

“Sookie, are you ok?” Quinn asked. Eric gave him a threatening look and I glared back at Eric. Quinn was not a threat to him, so Eric needed to back off.

“I think I will be,” I replied to Quinn with a small smile. I wasn’t sure I was going to be ok for a long while, but right now I had to stay strong.

“Let’s get this mess cleaned up,” Sophie Anne said as she stood up from Eric’s throne. “We should not keep any of Felipe de Castro’s men. Within seconds, Felipe de Castro’s men found their final death. Almost simultaneously.

“Sookie,” Bill approached me.

“Where were you all this time?” I demanded to know. Tonight was an important night for me and Bill was nowhere in sight.

“I just got back from out of state. Felipe de Castro sent me on a task and I returned to find Fangtasia in the middle of a battle. I’m still in total shock to find Queen Sophie Anne back in power.”

I didn’t reply anything. It was useless to argue over his ‘errand boy’ position with Felipe de Castro. Felipe was gone. Freyda was gone. And Eric was mine. Tonight was a successful night.

“Sookie, what do you want to do with Freyda’s minions. You decide with the lives of those three,” Sophie Anne said pointing to the last three prisoners. I was shocked at her words, why would I decide about their lives?

The three vampires stood there in silence, I assumed they were petrified of the outcome because their faces were of plain horror. They remained silent; I guess they were expecting me to dictate their future, or lack of.  

“That’s not for me to decide. You’re the queen again and this is vampire business,” I said. The three vampires looked from Queen Sophie Anne to me, back and forth.

“I would kill them if I were you. It’s not good to leave loose ends,” she stated.

“If that’s the reasoning to decide about their final death, I think they deserve a second chance. They swore loyalty to the queen in charge; they should at least have the opportunity to swear loyalty to you.”

“I would kill them if the decision is up to me. But this decision will be up to you,” Queen Sophie Anne said. Why did she keep insisting in making me decide their faith?

The three vampires in question took a few steps forward towards me and Eric, Bill, and Quinn were right there to stop them if they move the wrong way. They stopped a few feet away from me, bowed their heads while they introduced themselves. “My name is Ruben Salazar and I have been in charge of the social events for the Oklahoma kingdom. I was called here to help organize the wedding,” Ruben said. He was dressed formal with very expensive shoes. I recognized those shoes because I have seen them in magazines where the rich and famous from Hollywood were wearing them for one of their red carpet events. However, today they were blood stained and I highly doubt his suit was going to get cleaned up properly.

“I’m Mario Smith and he’s Stephan Docket,” said the other vampire standing next to Ruben, “I’m the engineer in the oil business in Oklahoma and he’s the geologist. We were to meet Queen Freyda to discuss the possibility of finding new oil. We have been doing research in search for new reservoirs and we were to present tonight our preliminary findings to her.”

Mario had a nerdy look with office clothes. He was not overly elegant like Ruben, but he was properly dressed up for an office meeting with an important client. And on the other side of the spectrum was Stephan who was wearing blue jeans and cowboy boots with a black jacket loosely thrown over his open down white shirt. However, just like Ruben, they were all bloody from top to bottom. At least they weren’t missing any limbs! I bet that during the fight they kept their distance from Eric and his Viking sword.

I nodded to the three vampires in front of me. At least they seemed civilized. They looked terrified at Sophie Anne and everybody else around them, especially Eric who was ready to kill them if they breathed too long or blinked too often. Suddenly, the three of them got down on one knee, “Your majesty. We are here to implore for our lives and to swear our loyalty to you,” Ruben said.

“I second his words your majesty. I want to swear my loyalty to you,” Mario said.

“I repeat their words your majesty. I want to swear my loyalty to you,” Stephan said.

“I’m not the queen. She is,” I stated as a matter of fact while pointing towards Queen Sophie Anne.

“With all due respect your majesty, you killed Queen Freyda and that makes you the new Queen of Oklahoma,” Ruben stated as a matter of fact.

I was shocked. More than shocked and speechless.  

Everybody in Fangtasia was dead quiet.    

       

 **Note:** Surprise! Can you imagine Sookie becoming the new Queen of Oklahoma? Imagine this: A Fairy to be the new queen of a vampire kingdom!!  Felipe de Castro was very clear about the vampire’s believes of Sookie not being their equal…. well… this will be interesting uh! 

What do you think about the fight?  Was it intense or not?   

PS: If you have friends that you think would enjoy this story, then tell them so they can read it too!       


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I am not the owner of these characters. The original story and the characters belong to Charlaine Harris. I am only borrowing them for a little while.    

 

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**Sookie’s POV**

I didn’t like to be the center of attention and right now everybody’s eyes were on me. Ruben, Mario, and Stephan stared at me in a weird way. I couldn’t read their minds, but the way they were looking at me made me feel uncomfortable. Eric was next to me in an instant as if something was about to happen.

“We need to figure this out, but it will have to wait until tomorrow. Sunrise is approaching,” Sophie Anne said.

“We’re going to offer security during the day time as it was agreed with Sookie,” Alcide said. He looked at one of his pack members who nodded back to him and then he continued, “We’ve a truck that’s sun proof. We’ll keep guard all day. It’s not luxury, but it’ll fit y’all.”  

“I am the Queen, how can you expect me to trust my life in your hands?” Sophie Anne said.

“It’s either that or you go underground. I’m sure there’s a cemetery nearby,” I snapped.

“I’ll be there too your majesty. I trust my wife,” Eric said.

There were so many things I wanted to talk to Eric… yet, there was never enough time.

“We need to go now,” Bill said as he left Fangtasia through the front door; everybody followed him.

Without them in the room, I had a better view of the aftermath of the fight. The walls were covered with blood of who knows how many vampires. There were several broken tables and so many piles of guts splashed all over the floor.

Eric collected his sword and extended his other hand for me to hold it. For the first time, we walked holding hands. It felt so human, so normal. Eric locked the front door on our way out. I felt giggly when I looked down at our locked hands. Even though I just had his blood, I couldn’t feel him the same way before I broke our blood bond, but I was starting to and if felt great. Soon we’ll have our blood bond back.

When we walked out of Fangtasia, Sophie Anne and her group of vampires were gone while Eric’s group was reluctantly getting inside the large U-Haul truck. Even the last three Oklahoma survivors were there.

“Where’s Sophie Anne?” Eric asked.

“She left with her guards,” Maxwell replied.

“Very well,” Eric said as we walked towards the back of the U-Haul.

There were three boxes of True Blood set up against the far back corner and Rubio, Pam, and Karin, already had a bottle on hand. I was tempted to ask them if that would that be their dinner or breakfast, but I chose to keep my mouth shut.

“What happened to the vampire whose arm you amputated at the beginning of the fight?” I asked Eric.

“Sophie Anne took him with her,” Bill replied.

Eric glared at Bill for butting in our private conversation. A silent conversation between Eric and Bill happened right in front of my eyes. I wanted to ask, but there wasn’t any time. Bill went inside the U-Haul while minding his own business as Eric turned to face me and said, “tomorrow night we will talk and we will fix our marriage.” He then kissed me deep but short, and off he went to join the others inside the truck. Using thick cloth materials, Alcide’s pack members quickly sealed up the U-Haul to prevent the sun from permeating and then latched the rear door. I could feel Eric fading away as the sun was beginning to rise.

“We’ll make sure nothing happens to them today,” Alcide assured me.

His pack members stood there waiting for their Alpha, while Quinn stood near his car. I smiled at all of them; they all looked horrible. Not only were they a bloody mess, but they were also tired. Shifting always drained their energy. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I wouldn’t have done it without y’alls help.”

“Let’s hope that these changes bring good things for all of us. Felipe de Castro cancelled several construction projects on us and gave them to other contractors; his friends,” Alcide said.

“I’m sure things are going to change for your company,” I replied.

“The Las Vegas vampires have been using my family to force me to fight the pits for them. I still have a few others on my ‘to kill’ list. That will happen soon enough,” Quinn said. His words reminded me how much his mother and sister meant to him.

“I really hope you get to solve that problem soon. You deserve to have happiness and peace.”

“You could have been part of that happiness and peace,” Quinn replied.

I shook my head slowly urging him not to go there again. He got my message because he didn’t add to his comment.

“I’m going to shower all of this blood and then go to sleep,” I said.

“I can take you home if you want me to,” Quinn offered. I was about to reply when he continued, “don’t worry, I won’t bring it up again.”

After careful consideration I nodded. We all left with the exception of three werewolves that stayed to guard the vampires while they were dead to this world.

On the way home, Quinn and I spoke briefly about Fanny, his sister, and his quest to find her. For the most part, we were silent most of the ride. We were exhausted. The silence gave me space to think and one little detail hadn’t escaped me: Sam was there during the fight, but he wasn’t there afterwards. Where did he go? Why did he leave without talking to me? It was time to have a conversation with him about his strange behavior.

Quinn parked in front of my house and walked me to the front door. After a quick hug and a promise to keep in touch, he left. I took a shower and went to bed; my clean bed sheets felt good after this long night. It didn’t take me long to fall asleep.

I woke up a little after noon. For a second I was strangely surprised that I wasn’t sore at all, but then I remembered Eric had healed me. I smiled at the thought of the many possibilities I now had with him. Today was a good day.

After using the restroom, I went straight to fix myself a nice, hot cup of coffee, a toast, eggs, and bacon. I was starving!

Apparently I left hunger to dictate my cooking because I cooked too much food, but then I realized I could bring this to Jason for his breakfast. That way, I could use the food as an excuse to check on him; I really hoped that he was healed. I cooked more eggs and bacon and then packed the food.

On my way out of the kitchen I walked by my birthday gifts which were piled up on the table and I remembered I haven’t checked Sam’s gift. I opened the envelope and I had to sit down from my impression. I was officially one-third owner of Merlottes. My eyes got watery as I read the document. It was a sweet surprise. I was planning on talking to Sam about his strange attitude last night, but this has softened my heart again. I still had to talk to Sam, but I was no longer angry anymore. After all, he has always been good to me.

First things first, Jason. I took a quick shower, put on shorts, a t-shirt, and the tennis shoes were the final touch. I wanted to dress comfortably to visit Hotshot. Of course, I couldn’t forget the Cluviel Dor which I put it in my pants’ pocket.

The road was somewhat busy with people returning to work after their lunch break. I wasn’t in a hurry, so a little traffic was ok with me.

Usually, Hotshot was totally empty, but today it was easy to find them… I just had to follow the commotion in front of the light pink house on my right. Several men were coming in and out of it. I parked in front of the property next to it and went to meet the two adults that were cutting some wood on the front yard.

“Mornin’ y’all. You know where can I find Jason or Calvin?” I asked them.

“Follow me,” said one of the men.

We walked past several broken pieces of kitchen cabinets that had been tossed on the front yard. The house was simple with furniture had seen better days, but the four children sitting on them watching TV didn’t seem to mind. In one corner of the kitchen, the floor was full of cooking pans, plates, and cups. Everything was full of dust from the ongoing construction.

“Hey Sook,” Jason called from one corner. He and another man, who I recognized from last night, were holding a set of cabinets, while Calvin secured it with an electric screwdriver.

Jason was completely healed. He was covered with wood dust and sweat. There were no traces of blood or even muscle discomfort. He looked as healthy as a horse.

“Jason, you’re healed!” I said amazed.

“I told you he was going to heal,” Calvin said.

As soon as Calvin finished using the electric screwdriver, Jason and the familiar faced man let go the cabinet as it stayed in place.

“I won’t lie; I had my doubts because Jason isn’t full blood. Now I see I had nothing to worry about,” I told Calvin.

He gave me a small smile. I guess he wasn’t happy I doubted his word, but hey, I was new at this half-werepanther thing.

“Calvin, I would like to thank you again for last night and for helping Jason. I wouldn’t have accomplished my plans without your help,” I said honestly.

He nodded, pleased with my words.

“I brought breakfast thinking you were going to be bedridden. Had I known I would have brought more food,” I told Jason apologetically.

“You’re a good sister,” Calvin said.

“Could I treat you guys with Pizza for lunch?” I asked.

“Oh man, that would be great Sook,” Jason replied.

“Only if you want to,” Calvin replied afterwards.

“I would like to do that,” I assured them.

I took my cell phone out of my pocket to call our local pizzeria. I stayed with them talking unimportant things while they continued working. It turned out the owner of the house, Liam, got a mid-year bonus at work and decided to remodel the kitchen cabinet with the money. Of course, that meant everybody in Hotshot had to help.

Four pizzas were delivered within thirty minutes or less, as it was advertised; everybody devoured them enthusiastically. The kids were the ones that enjoyed them the most. I only ate one slice since I just ate breakfast before coming here. I had to admit, it tasted delicious.

After pizza, Jason stopped working and we both walked out of the house towards my car. Then, I went home, but first agreed with Jason that he was going to come to my house in about an hour because I needed his help with something crazy I wanted to do. I wondered what was going to be Eric’s reaction when he found out; the thought of it made me smile.

At home there wasn’t much to do except the almost impossible task of removing the blood stains from last night’s clothes. I could cook an early dinner too. That way I would have the rest of the afternoon off. I liked that idea. I put some water, salt, and oil, to boil and got some spaghetti out to cook. Then, I finished setting up the washer machine when I heard a car entering my driveway.         

My schedule for the evening was full, so I wasn’t very pleased at having an uninvited guest. I was even more astonished when I looked out the living room window to see that my caller was Donald Callaway. I’d wondered if I’d hear from him after Sam told me about the break-in, but I hadn’t ever imagined I’d get a personal visit.

Donald, standing by his car, looked as crisp as he had the morning he’s spent examining the contents of my attic: creased khakis, seer-sucker shirt, polished loafers. His salt-and-pepper hair and mustache were freshly trimmed, and he radiated a sort of middle-aged tan fitness. Golfer, maybe. He seemed to be having some difficulty.

I opened the door, worried about the boiling water, which should be ready for me to add the pasta at anytime.

“Hey, Mr. Callaway,” I called. “What are you doing way out here?” And why didn’t he approach?

“Can I come in for a second?” he asked.

“Okay,” I said, and he started forward. “But I’m afraid I don’t have a lot of time.”

He was just a little surprised that I wasn’t more cordial. I got a waft of wrongness. I dropped all my shields and looked inside his brain.

He was on the porch now, and I said, “Stop right there.”

He looked at me with apparent surprise.

“What have you done?” I asked. “You’ve screwed me over somehow. You might as well tell me.”

His eyes widened. “Are you human?”

“I’m human with extras. Spill it, Mr. Callaway.”

He was almost frightened, but he was becoming angry, too. That was a bad combination. “I need that thing that was in the secret compartment.”

Revelation. “You opened it first, before you showed it to me.” It was my turn to be astonished.

“If I’d had any idea what that thing was, I’d never have told you,” he said, regret weighing down his voice. “As it was, I thought it was worthless, and I thought I might as well boost my reputation for honesty.”

“But you’re not honest, are you?” I glided through his thoughts, my head tilted on one side. “You’re a twisty bastard.” The wards around the house had been trying to keep him out, but like an idiot, I’d invited him in.

He had the gall to be offended.

“Come on now, just trying to turn a buck and keep our business afloat in a bad economy.” He thought he could tell me this, and I’d accept it? I checked him out quickly but thoroughly. I didn’t think he had a gun, but he had a knife in a sheath slipped to his belt, just like many men who had to open boxes every day. It wasn’t a big knife, but any knife was pretty damn frightening.

“Sookie,” he continued, “I came out here tonight to do you a favor. I don’t think you know that you have a valuable little item. Interest in this item is heating up, and word’s getting around. You might find it a tad dangerous to keep it in your house. I’ll be glad to put it in a safe at my office. I did some research on your behalf, and what you think may be a pretty thing your grandma left in the desk is something a few people do want for their private collection.”

Not only had he opened the secret compartment and glanced at the contents before he’d called me to come look, he’d at least scanned the letter. The letter my grandmother had written to me. Thank God he hadn’t had a chance to read it carefully. He was completely ignorant about me.

Something inside me caught fire. I was mad. Really mad.

“Come in,” I said calmly. “We’ll talk about it.”

He was surprised, but relieved.

I smiled at him.

I turned and walked back to the kitchen. There were lots of weapons in the kitchen.

Callaway followed me, his loafers making little thwacks on the boards of the floor.

It would be very opportune if Jason arrived right now, but it was still too early. He should still be in Hotshot.

“So you did open the bag? You looked at it?” I said over my shoulder. “I don’t know why Gran left me an old powder compact, but it is kind of pretty. Gran was sort of a crackpot; a sweet old lady, but real imaginative.”

“So often our elderly relatives love things that don’t really have much intrinsic value,” the antiques dealer said. “In your case, your grandmother left you an item that is of interest only to a few specialized collectors.”

“Really? What is it? She called it something crazy.” I was still leading the way. I smiled to myself. I was pretty sure it wasn’t a very pleasant smile.

He didn’t hesitate. “It’s a turn-of-the-century Valentine’s Day present,” he said. “Made out of soapstone. If you can open it, there’s a little compartment for a lock of the hair of the person giving it.” 

“Really? I couldn’t open it. You know how?” I was sure that only the intention to use it could open the cluviel dor.

“Yes, I’m pretty sure I can open it,” he said, and he believed that, but he’d never tried. He hadn’t had time that day, had only a quick glance at the cluviel dor and at the letter. He assumed that he’d be able to open the round object because he’s never been thwarted when he’d tried to open similar antiques items before.

“That would be real interesting,” I said. “And how many people are gonna bid on this old thing? How much money you think I could make?”

“At least two people are involved,” he said. “But that’s all you need, to make a little profit. Maybe you’d make as much as a thousand, though I’d have to take my cut.”

“Why should I give you any? Why shouldn’t I contact them myself?”

He sat at the kitchen table uninvited, while I went to the stove and threw in some spaghetti into the boiling water.

He was taken aback by my question, but he rallied. “Why, you don’t want to deal with these people, young lady. They’re pretty rough people. You want to let me do that. So it’s only fair that I get a little recompense for my trouble.”

“What if I don’t want to let you ‘do that’?” Steam rose from the boiling water and I moved the spaghetti with a spoon to prevent them from sticking together. I was monitoring his thoughts closely; as I should have done the day he’d been here working.

“Then I’ll just take it,” he said.

I turned to face him. He had some Mace and a knife. I heard the front door open and shut, very quickly. Callaway didn’t hear it; he didn’t know this house like I did.

“I won’t give it up,” I said flatly, my voice louder than it needed to be. “And you can’t find it.”

“I’m an antiques dealer,” he said with absolute assurance. “I’m very good at finding old things.”

He took a couple of steps towards me, holding the knife in a strong fist… ready to take me down.

       

 **Note:** Would there be a day that Sookie wouldn’t find herself in trouble? *evil smile*


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I am not the owner of these characters. The original story and the characters belong to Charlaine Harris. I am only borrowing them for a little while.    

 

\-----------------------------

**Sookie’s POV**

He took a couple of steps towards me, holding the knife in a strong fist… ready to take me down.

I didn’t know if a friend had entered or another foe. Truth be told, I had little faith in the wards. The silence and stealth the newcomer employed could indicate either one. I did know I wasn’t going to give up the Cluviel Dor. And I knew for sure I wasn’t going to stand passively and let this asshole hurt me. I twisted, gripped the handle of the pot of hot water, and pivoted smoothly, flinging the water directly into Donald Callaway’s face. The spaghetti wrapped around his face and neck like an octopus with unlimited tentacles.   

A lot of things happened then, in very rapid succession. Callaway screamed and stopped the knife and the Mae, slamming his hands to his face while water and spaghetti flew everywhere. The demon lawyer, Mr. Cataliades, charged into the room. He bellowed like a maddened bull when he saw Donald Callaway on the floor. The demon leaped onto the prone dealer, gripped his head, and twisted, and all the noise stopped abruptly.

“Shepherd of Judea,” I said. I pulled out a chair and sat in it to forestall falling down on the wet floor with the body.

Mr. Cataliades picked himself up, but almost slipped with the spaghetti. He then dusted his hands together, and beamed at me. “Miss Stackhouse, how nice to see you again,” he said. “And how clever of you to distract him.”

“I take it you know who this is,” I said, trying not to look at the inert figure of Donald Callaway.

“I do. And I’ve been looking for a chance to shut his mouth forever.”

“I can’t pretend to regret he’s dead,” I said. “But this whole incident is kind of shocking, and it’s taking me a minute to collect myself. In fact, I’ve been through a lot of shocking stuff lately. But what else is new? Sorry, I’m babbling.”

“I can quite understand that. Shall I tell you what I’ve been doing?”

“Yes, please. Have a seat and talk to me.” It would give me a chance to recover.

The demon sat opposite me and smiled in a cordial way. “Do you mind if I impose on you for a glass of ice water?”

“Not at all,” I said, and rose to fetch it. I had to step over the body.

“Thank you, my dear.” The lawyer finished the glass in one long swallow. I refilled it. I was glad to return to my seat.

“The hellhounds were pursuing me. They did it for a long time, and I had no idea why. I could not fathom what I had done to offend their master.” He shook his head. “Now, of course, I know.”

I waited for him to tell me what he had done, but he wasn’t ready for that.

“Finally, I became far enough ahead of the hounds to take time to arrange an ambush. By then, Diantha had been able to find me to join in a surprise I’d planned for them. We had… quite a struggle with the hounds.” He was silent for a moment.

“Please tell me Diantha isn’t dead,” I said. His niece Diantha was one of the most unusual creatures I’d ever met, and that was saying something, considering whom I could enter in my address book.

“We prevailed,” he said simply. “But it cost us, of course. I had to lie hidden in the woods for many days until I was able to travel again. Diantha recovered more quickly since her wounds were slighter, and she brought me food and began gathering information. We needed to understand before we could begin to dig ourselves out of trouble.”

“Uh-huh,” I said, wondering where this was going to lead. “You want to share that information with me? I’m pretty sure that this guy didn’t understand my gran’s letter.” I nodded my head to the body.

“He may not have understood the context, and he didn’t believe in fairies, but he did see the phrase ‘Cluviel Dor,’” Mr. Cataliades said.

“But how come he knew it was valuable? He definitely didn’t know what it can do, because he didn’t understand the reality of fairies.”

“I learned from my sponsor, Bertine, that Callaway Googled the term ‘Cluviel Dor.’ He found one reference in a fragment of text from an old Irish folk tale,” Mr. Cataliades said.

This Bertine must be Mr. Cataliades’ godmother, in effect, the same way Mr. Cataliades (my grandfather’s best friend) was mine. I wondered briefly what Bertine looked like, where she lived. But Mr. Cataliades was still talking.

“Computers are another reason to deplore this age, when no one has to really travel to learn important information from other cultures.” He shook his head and continued, “I’ll tell you more about my sponsor when we have some leisure time. You might like her.”

I suspected Mr. Cataliades also had flashes of foreseeing. Could he know the future?

“Fortunately for us, Callaway came to Bertine’s attention when he persisted in his research. Of course, it was unfortunate for him.” Mr. Cataliades spared a downward glance at the inert Donald. “Callaway tracked down a supposed expert in fairy lore, someone who could tell him what little is known about this legendary fairy artifact; namely, the fact that none exist on this earth anymore. Unfortunately, this expert, who was Bertine, as you have no doubt surmised, did not understand the important of keeping silent. Since dear Bertine didn’t believe that there were any Cluviel Dors left in either world, she felt free to talk about them. Therefore, she was ignorant of the wrong she committed when she told Callaway that a Cluviel Dor could be made in almost any form or shape. Callaway had never suspected the item he’d held was an actual fae artifact until he talked to Bertine. He imagined scholars and folklorists would give a pretty penny to possess such a thing.” 

“When he showed me the drawer, I didn’t get that he’d already opened it,” I said quietly. “How could that be?” 

“Were you shielding?”

“I’m sure I was.” I did it without thinking, to protect myself. Of course, I couldn’t maintain such a level of blocking all day, every day. And of course, it protected your brain only like wearing earmuffs affected your hearing; a lot of stuff still bled in, especially from a strong broadcaster. But apparently Donald had been preoccupied that day, and I had been so excited at the contents of the drawer I hadn’t realized he was seeing the Butterick pattern envelope and the velvet bag for the second time. He hadn’t believed he’d found anything valuable or notable: a confusing letter from an old woman about having children and getting a present, and a bag containing an old toiletry item, maybe a powder compact. It was when he’d thought to find over later and Googled the odd phrase that he’d begun to wonder if those items might be valuable.

“I need to give you lessons, child, as I should have done before. Isn’t it nice that we’re finally getting to know one another? I regret that it takes a huge crisis to impel me to make this offer.”

I nodded faintly. “Learning about it years ago would have been beneficial,” I said.

“It’s never too late. We’ll fix that mistake of mine.”

“Please tell me what happened next.”

“When Diantha thought of questioning Bertine, Bertine realized what she had done. Far from giving a human a useless bit of information about old fairy lore, she had revealed a secret. She came to me while I was recuperating, and I finally understood why I’d been pursued.”

“Because…” I tried to arrange my thoughts. “Because you’d kept secret the existence of a Cluviel Dor?”

“Yes. My friendship with Fintan, whose name your grandmother mentioned in the letter, was no secret. Stupid Callaway Googled Fintan too, and though he didn’t find out anything about the real Fintan, the conjunction of the two searches sent out an alarm that eventually reached… the wrong ears. The fact that Fintan was your grandfather is no secret, either, since Niall found you and chose to honor you with his love and protection. It would not take much to put these snippets together.”

“This is the only Cluviel Dor left in the world?” Awesome.

“Unless one lies lost and forgotten in the land of the fae. And believe me, there are plenty who search every day for such a thing.”

“Can I give it away?”

“You’ll need it if you’re attacked. And you will be attacked,” Mr. Cataliades said, matter-of-factly. “You can use it for yourself, you know; loving yourself is a legitimate trigger of its magic. Giving it to someone else would seal their death warrant. I don’t think you’d want that, though my knowledge of you is inadequate.”

Gee. A lot of swell news.

“I wished Adele had used it herself, to save her own life of the life of one of her children, to take the burden from you. I can only suppose that she didn’t believe in its power.”

“Probably not,” I agreed. And if she had, she almost certainly felt that using it would not be a Christian act. “So, who’s after the Cluviel Dor? I guess you know by now?”

“I’m not sure that knowledge would be good for you,” he said.

“How come you can read my mind, but I can’t read yours?”  I asked, tired of being transparent. Now I knew how other people must feel when I plucked a thought of two from their brains. Mr. Cataliades was a master at this, while I was very much a novice.

“Well, I am mostly a demon,” he said apologetically. “And you’re mostly only human.”

“Is there a way to enhance my mind reading abilities?”

“Yes, but it’s risky.”

“When are you going to teach me how to control the mind reading skills?”

“Soon, but not today.”

“Do you  know Barry?” I asked, and even Mr. Cataliades looked little surprised.

“Yes,” he said, after a perceptible hesitation. “The young man who can also read minds. I saw him in Rhodes, before and after the explosion.” He pulled himself straight and looked anywhere but at me. “Barry is my great-great-grandson.” 

“So, you’re much older than you look.”

This was taken as a compliment. “Yes, my young friend, I am. I don’t neglect the boy, you know. He doesn’t really know me, and of course he doesn’t know his heritage, but I’ve kept him out of a lot of trouble. Not the same thing as having a fairy godmother as you had, but I’ve done my best.”

“Of course. I didn’t mean to accuse you of neglecting your own kin. Speaking of kin, Niall told Eric about the Cluviel Dor. Why would he do that?”

Mr. Cataliades smiled as if I have just asked a basic question which prompted him to measure my IQ level. “Eric and Niall’s story goes way back, centuries before you were born. They have done business together. Niall didn’t trust any other vampire, but him. When Niall found your whereabouts and that coincidently you were bonded to him, Niall approached Eric for a personal favor. Have you ever wondered why Niall has never criticized you for being bonded to a vampire? It is because of that trust that he told Eric about the Cluviel Dor. Look at the facts, has Eric tried to take it away from you?”

“Eric has never mentioned it to me.”

“How did you find out that Eric knew?”

“Niall told me himself.”

“Such a powerful knowledge would provoke the avarice of the most trusted person, yet Eric hasn’t betrayed him.”

“So, they genuinely trust and respect each other. That is rare in the vampire world,” I stated as a matter of fact. Eric once told me he trusted Pam and me only.

“It is very rare across all lands. Niall must have Eric in high respect to trust his bloodline to mix with a vampire,” Mr. Cataliades stared at me expecting common sense to hit me. The truth has been in front of me all along and I failed to recognize it.

I nodded in defeat. The silence was getting somewhat uncomfortable, so time to change topic. Why did you leave last night when the fight started?”

“Because I shall not interfere with fate. I already did enough by helping Sophie Anne to survive.”

“Will things get better now?”

“Some things will get better and others will be challenging. That’s how life goes, no matter what.”

“What things will be challenging?”

“Let’s get rid of this body first, shall we?” he said. “Do you have any disposal suggestions?”

I so seldom had to dispose of a human body myself, I was at loss. Fairies turned into dust, and vampires flaked away. Demons had to be burned. Humans were very troublesome.

Mr. Cataliades, picking up on that thought, turned away with a small smile. “I hear Diantha coming,” he remarked. “Maybe she’ll have a plan.”

Sure enough, the skinny girl glided into the room from the back door. I hadn’t even heard her enter or detected her brain. She was wearing an eye-shattering combination: a very short yellow-and-black striped skirt over royal blue leggings, and a black leotard. Her black ankle boots were laced up with broad white laces. Today, her hair was bright pink. “Sookieyoudoingokay?” she asked.

It took me a second to translate, and then I nodded. “We got to get rid of this,” I said, pointing to the body, which was absolutely obvious in a kitchen the size of mine.

“Thatshutsonedoor,” she said to her uncle.

He nodded gravely. “I suppose the best way to proceed is to load him into the trunk of his car,” Mr. Cataliades said. “Diantha, do you think you could assume his appearance?”

Diantha made a disgusted face but quickly bent to Donald Callaway’s face and stared into it. She plunked a hair from his head, closed her eyes. Her lips moved, and the air had that magic feel I’d noticed when my friend Amelia had performed one of her spells.

In a moment, to my shock, Donald Callaway was standing in front of us staring down at his own body.

It was Diantha, completely transformed. She was even wearing Callaway’s clothes, or at least was the way she appeared to my eyes.

“Fuckthisshit,” Callaway said, and I knew Diantha was in charge. But it was beyond strange to see Mr. Cataliades and Donald Callaway carrying out Callaway’s body to his car, unlocked with the keys extracted from the corpse’s pocket.

I followed them out, watching carefully to make sure nothing fell or leaked from the body.

“Diantha, drive to the airport in Shreveport and park the car there. Call a cab to pick you up, and have it drop you off at… at the police station. From there, find a good place to change back, so they’ll lose the trail.” 

She nodded with a jerk and climbed into the car.

“Diantha can keep his appearance all the way to Shreveport?”

I said, as she turned the car around with a grind of the wheel. She waved gaily as she took off like a rocket. I hoped she made it back to Shreveport without getting a ticket.

“She won’t get a ticket,” Mr. Cataliades answered my thought.

But here came Jason in his pickup.

“Oh, hell,” I said. “My spaghetti isn’t ready.”

“I need to say good-bye, anyway,” Mr. Cataliades said. “I know there are some things I haven’t told you, but I must go now. I may have taken care of the hellhounds, but yours aren’t the only secrets.”

“But…”

I might as well not have spoken. With the startling speed he’d shown when the hellhounds were chasing him, my “sponsor” disappeared into the woods.

“Hey, Sis!” Jason bounded out of his truck. “Did you just have a visitor? I passed a car?”

“Ah, not quite,” I said. “That was a drop-in I didn’t expect, a guy wanting to sell me life insurance.”

“You might need it sis. Lately your life has been risky,” Jason said with a smile. He was teasing me and I didn’t blame him.

“Did you get to finish installing the kitchen cabinets?”

“Nah, we will have enough to do for a couple of days. What’s the thing that you needed help with?” 

“Well, I want to get Eric out of the U-Haul truck and bring him here. I need your help to carry him without letting the sun burn or kill him.”

Jason’s face was priceless. “Are you out of your mind? You can’t wait until he wakes up so he would walk, fly, or drive here?”

“Nope. I don’t want to wait. I want him to wake up here with me.”

Reluctantly, Jason agreed to help me out. We drove back to Fangtasia in my car because we needed the dark trunk to hide Eric. It was late afternoon and Jason was hungry again.

“Didn’t you just eat pizza in Hotshot?” I was surprised of his impatient appetite.

“Full Moon and shifting, even when it’s partial, makes me extra hungry the next couple of days. Those that are full blooded, oh man, sure they can eat! I would hate to pay for their grocery bill,” Jason teased.

We drove by a Burger King to order a couple of burgers through the drive-thru. Of course, Jason spent the rest of the trip discussing how his burgers were much better quality as we agreed to meet for BBQ at his house sometime this week.

When we arrived to Fangtasia, my blood pressure dropped dangerously low and my heart stopped beating. The U-Haul truck with all my vampires was gone. “They ain’t here!” I said a little too loud.

“Are you sure they didn’t say they were going to hide them somewhere else?” Jason asked. I parked the car by the entrance and we walked around the building to verify that they weren’t hiding the truck somewhere in the back of the property.

“Alcide said they were going to stay here. Two of his pack members stayed guarding the truck while the others left. They were supposed to take turns so that everybody got to rest and there would be somebody with the truck at all times,” I replied.

“Do you think that Alcide took advantage of the situation and killed them? I mean, shifters aren’t fans of vampires, and having them so vulnerable during the daytime… temptation is the devil Sook!” Jason said.

I thought about it really carefully, “No, I don’t think so. Alcide is a man of honor. He would keep his word.”

“And his pack members?” Jason asked. I didn’t know how to answer that question.

I got my phone out and dialed Alcide’s number. My fingers were trembling; I was scared of the possibilities of that could’ve happened; none of them were good. 

The call went to his voicemail. So, I hanged up and dialed again… and again. “Sook, look,” Jason said, “The tire marks go towards the road and there are only two sets of boots on each side.”

Yup, he was a detective now. “How do you know?” I asked as I walked to him.

“There are a lot of footsteps back here and only two pair of boots prints on both sides; they stopped here,” Jason showed me.

“Those footsteps were on the back of the truck so that could be from the vampires when they got in the truck. These two pairs of footprints are on the sides of the truck, so one person got in the truck in the driving seat and the other one in the passenger sit,” I said trying to analyze the evidence.

“But what if they were ambushed and those footsteps belonged to the attackers? Somebody attacked the two shifters and then two of the attackers got in the truck and took off,” Jason said.

“Jason you aren’t helping. I want to think that my Eric is alive; and Pam, and Karin, and Bill, and the others.”

“Then, what if those footprints are what you said they are, and the two shifters that were supposed to guard the truck decided to get rid of the vampires without Alcide knowing?” Jason said.

Tears formed in my eyes at the thought of it. I dialed Alcide again, and it went straight to voicemail.

“Jesus Sookie,” Jason hugged me very tight. “I’ll help you find ‘em. You aren’t alone sis.”

“He has to be ok.  He has to be alive,” I said holding back my tears. If I let them go, there would be enough to fill a bucket.

I dialed Alcide’s number again, and it went straight to voicemail. Hope was fading away really fast.

       

 **Note:** Join Sookie in her quest to find Eric, or whatever was left of him… *evil smile*  


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I am not the owner of these characters. The original story and the characters belong to Charlaine Harris. I am only borrowing them for a little while.    

 **Chapter 19**  

\-----------------------------

**Sookie’s POV**

I just couldn’t believe what was happening in front of my eyes. I dialed Alcide’s number again and, once again, it went straight to voicemail.

“This can’t be happening!” I screamed out of desperation.

I was so consumed with my feelings that, when my phone rang, it startled me.

I picked it up immediately, “hello.”

“Sookie! Is everything alright? I have multiple missed calls from you, but no message,” Alcide worried voice made me feel guilty.

I took a deep breath, “I should have left a message,” I said knowing it was too late for that. I continued, “I came back to Fangtasia and the U-Haul was gone.”

“My men decided to move it to a different location because there was a car with four men that drove by suspiciously. It’s better not to take any chances,” Alcide explanation helped me to calm down.

“Where’s the truck now?” I asked.

“We’re hiding it in Jannalynn’s property.”

“But that’s dangerous. Jannalynn could be around and do something stupid.”

“Not a chance. We got her. Which reminds me, tonight we’ll have a ceremony. Your presence is required since you’re one of the parties that got affected by Jannalynn’s actions.”

A ceremony or an execution? I wanted to ask Alcide, but I kept my mouth shut. “Do I have to be there?”

“Are you whining?” Alcide asked.

“I am. Eric and I have lots to talk about and last night we didn’t get the chance,” I explained. I knew that Alcide knew I meant I wanted to get naked with Eric and stay like that all night, but I wasn’t going to spell out my private life to him.  

“His presence is required too. Eric and Warren were primary victims. The debt needs to get settled.”

“So is Sam. He’s losing her too,” I said.

“Losing or winning. Depends on how you see it. Nonetheless, he’ll be there too,” Alcide said.

“At what time?” I asked, resigned. He was there for me last night; it was my turn to return the favor.

“Ten o’clock at Jannalynn’s property.”

“We’ll be there. Now, tell your men that I’m on my way there. I’m taking Eric with me.”

“It doesn’t make sense. You want to open the truck that we sealed to protect them,” Alcide said.

“I know. I’ll be careful.”

“Are you sure this is a smart move? Those four men could be driving around looking for the truck. If they see you, they could follow you. Those vampires are under my protection. I won’t let something happening to them; it would come back against the pack,” Alcide, “the pack master” spoke. His tone meant serious business.

“Those vampires are my friends. I’m the first one that wants their safety. The last thing I want is to lose any of them,” I stated as a matter of fact. 

“All right then; your call,” Alcide said.

As soon as I hung up the phone, Jason and I were on the road again. Next stop: Jannalynn’s property. We drove carefully; paying attention to those that droved passed us. We wanted to make sure nobody followed us.

The truck wasn’t visible from the main road, so Jason entered the property slowly. Jason drove this time and that gave me plenty of time to think about tonight. I couldn’t understand why everything had to happen this way to prevent Eric and me from talking? I didn’t know if life was going to be this way for us, but I was going to do my best to change it; hence, bringing Eric to my house tonight. I didn’t want to waste any more time.

“Sook, you want me to go out and find them?” Jason offered.

“Maybe I can help,” I said while letting my walls down to listen. There were some movements inside the house, but that wouldn’t be them. I switched my attention to the woods in the back of the house, and sure enough, there was movement there too.

“Go that way,” I told Jason as I pointed my finger towards the commotion in the back woods. When we got closer, we were finally able to see the U-Haul and four members of the pack nearby.

One of them stepped out of the woods and guided us to park. We got out of the car and went to the trunk to get the comforters I brought to cover Eric’s body from the sun.

It was a good thing that they were here because they could help us carry Eric to my car. Jason walked towards the guard and they shared a secret handshake or something like that.

“How long have you been a werepanther?” Guard number one asked. By then, we have arrived to the area where the other three guards were sitting by a tree on a lazy afternoon. The three guards stood up and went to Jason where they shared the same secret handshake. I needed to ask Jason about this because apparently I was missing something here. Once the handshake was over, they returned to their assigned spot under the tree.

“Not long. I’m still getting used to it,” Jason replied.

The guards nodded understanding the struggle, “You did good last night,” guard number one told Jason.

“Thanks man. You did too,” Jason turned his attention to me and continued, “we found a vampire out in the woods and we fought him together. At first, because we were disorganized, the vampire was taking advantage of that. But then, something clicked and we started coordinating our moves. We got him,” Jason smiled at his recollection of memories.

“We got lucky last night. We didn’t suffer casualties,” I said.

“We got very close… twice,” guard number one said while he unlocked the U-Haul. He then continued, “This is as far as I’ll help,” the guard said as he backed away from the truck.

Jason helped me lift the door just enough for us to roll in with the comforters; he then closed it right away. I realized I had forgotten something important: how was I going to see inside the truck in the darkness? Leave it to Jason to be a true construction worker who carried a small set of tools with his key chain that included a tiny flashlight. He turned it on and we could see the tiny space we had between the U-Haul door and the thick clothed wall that Alcide’s pack created for extra protection from the sun.

Jason crawled to his nearest corner, and with his pocket knife, he cut the tape that glued the cloth to the U-Haul wall right on the bottom corner while he held the tiny flashlight with his mouth. He lifted the corner and slowly crawled in.

“Sook,” he called flashing the light through the opening, “give me the blankets.”

I crawled towards the small opening while pushing the comforters in front of me because there was just no space to maneuver. I pushed them towards Jason’s hand which was sticking out through the small opening and he pulled them through. As soon as they disappeared, I followed carefully.  

I had to be careful because I didn’t want to make the opening any bigger. It could jeopardize the sun leaking in, giving the final death to the vampires. I taped the cloth back as much as I could.

 When I tried to stand up, I misplaced my hand and stumbled with one of the vampires. Jason pointed the flashlight to my direction and I saw it was Bill’s leg that made me lose balance momentarily.

Bill was sitting the closest to the entrance. It was pitch black with the exception of the small spot that Jason’s flashlight illuminated. Jason then moved the light towards Bill’s left side and followed the edge between the floor and the wall.

There was some empty space between Bill and the three vampires of Oklahoma, the survivors, who were sitting next to each other towards the back corner. I wondered why Bill was sitting so far from everybody else. Oh well.

Jason continued searching. Right after the three Oklahoma vampires was Thalia, followed by Palomino, then Indira, Maxwell, Karin, Eric, Pam, and Rubio. Of course, Eric was still holding his sword. Was there significance to that sword that would explain Eric’s attachment? Maybe after everything calms down I’ll have the chance to ask him.

The middle of the truck was empty as everybody was pinned as far back as they could have gone. I didn’t blame them; they had little protection. I didn’t think they fully trusted this plan, but their choices were very limited.

Jason pulled Eric’s legs to move him away from the corner followed by a loud bump; Eric’s head hit the floor.

“Jason! Be careful,” I called him out while I went to grab Eric’s shoulders to help move him.

“It’s not like it hurt him,” Jason replied as he continued pulling Eric by his feet.

“You don’t know that,” I challenged him.

“Uh… he’s dead. Very dead,” Jason replied.

I took a deep breath and decided not to reply to his comment. We set Eric on the floor and proceeded to open the comforters. We fully extended the first one and then settled Eric at the edge of it. I was about to pick up the opposite corner of the comforter when Jason started to roll Eric and the comforter together ‘burrito’ style.

I wanted to glare at Jason, but in this darkness it was a waste of time.

Eric was so tall that his feet were still fully exposed and part of his head too. “Let’s use the second comforter to cover his feet properly and then we need to fix this one to cover his head better,” I told Jason.

“Ok,” Jason replied and proceeded to do the same thing all over again with the second comforter, but this time he covered Eric mostly from the waist down to cover his feet.

“Can we roll it around Eric instead of rolling Eric with it?” I asked sarcastically.

“Sis, he won’t get dizzy either,” he replied.

“Jason!” I replied with frustration.

“I know that you’re in love with him and all, but he’s dead during the daytime. He won’t feel anything,” Jason said.

“You’re right about that, but we should at least respect the dead just the same we respect the living,” I said.

He took a deep breath, very loud, and then continued fixing the covers until all of Eric was fully protected.

We tried to carry Eric wrapped in the comforters, but it was challenging to keep a firm grip on him. We ended up sliding our package to the corner where we first came in. Unloading him off the truck was going to be tricky, but there was no other choice.

Jason lifted the un-tightened corner and slid out.

“Sook, let’s go,” he called as I heard him lifting the U-Haul door.

I lifted the cloth slightly and Jason had half of his body on the truck and the other half dangling on the air. I pushed Eric, which wasn’t easy, until Jason had a hold on him. He pulled him through the cloth opening without effort. I guessed being a werepanther had its benefits. The minute Eric was gone, I crawled out as fast as I could, but unfortunately for Bill, I wasn’t fast enough and his hand caught fire.

“No!” I panicked.

“Sook,” Jason called and threw a small towel that he used to dry his sweat at work. I crawled back in again fast and slapped him with the towel many times until the fire was gone. I then pushed his body as hard as I could until he was further away from the entrance.

I crawled out again and was thankful that there wasn’t another fire to put out. I taped the corner back as good as I could, hoping that the clothed wall would continue to keep the sun out. I then sat on the edge of the truck and jumped off it.      

Jason had Eric safely wrapped over his shoulder without an effort. At least guard number one was by my side to lock the U-Haul again.

“Thank you,” I said, but I would have been more thankful if he had helped us in there. Anyway, it was done and I had my Eric safely on the way to my car. I hurried up to open the trunk and Jason set Eric not in the gentlest ways. We closed the trunk and off we went back home.

Before I forgot, I texted Pam, _Eric is with me_ so she won’t panic when she woke up to find Eric gone. I should text Bill too to apologize for his burnt hand, but I let it be. He’ll know once he found out about Eric.

The ride back home shouldn’t have taken more than thirty minutes, but it did. We got on the highway, and five minutes into it, a pickup truck, which I recognized because it drove by Fangtasia earlier today, passed us in the opposite direction and a loud tire screeching followed. We both looked back and the pickup truck was cutting through the grass that divided the highway.

“What the hell,” Jason said.

The truck swerved slightly, but eventually regained control. The driver sped up and it was catching on us fast.

“Let them pass Jason,” I said hoping that was their plan.

“Oh man, that truck is fully loaded and chromed out,” Jason’s admiration was palpable.

The pickup truck caught up with us, but instead of passing us, it rear ended us.

“What the hell!” Jason said.

“Watch out!” I screamed as the truck accelerated hitting us again.

The armor-like equipment smashed the back of the car like if it was made out of cheap plastic and bent the trunk lid so far up that it left the trunk fully exposed.

“Eric!” I panicked.

Jason struggled to keep the car on the road and accelerated as much as he could. I kept my eyes on the trunk praying that Eric wouldn’t burst in flames with the sun. So far, the comforters were protecting him.

We left the truck slightly behind, and with it, the rear bumper. But my car was no match for them; not only they run over my bumper, leaving the pieces all over the pavement, but they also accelerated and hit us again smashing the trunk further in.

I screamed.

I feared for our lives, including Eric’s.

This time we weren’t so lucky. Jason lost control of the car and we went off the road, passed the shoulder onto the verge. We hit several small, unimportant trees, but unfortunately Jason couldn’t bring the car to a full stop and we went straight into a lake.

The car came to a full stop for a couple of seconds, but then it kept rolling deeper into the water which started filling up the car very fast. Jason broke his window because he couldn’t open the door. By the time he exited the car through the window, the car was submerged in totality. Jason held on to the car with one hand while he extended the other one for me to reach it. I struggled with the seatbelt and with the need to breath, but eventually it came loose and I swam towards Jason. He helped me out and up we swam.

It felt nice to take a full gasp of air, but it wasn’t good to see our attackers waiting for us to come out. Their grin made me sick.

“Come out here vampire lover,” one of the attackers said.

“You better leave my sister alone” Jason warned them; they laughed at him.

I couldn’t decide what to do. I looked around looking for Eric’s body to float to the surface.

“What are you doing?” Jason whispered.

“Eric is going to float and the sun will kill him,” I whispered with panic.

“I saw in one of those FBI shows that a dead body sinks until it’s decomposing. That’s when they come up and the police find it. Vampires never decompose. Actually, he’s safer now under the water. No matter what, the sun can’t get to him,” Jason explained.

“Really?” I asked. I have always known that dead bodies float and that’s how the police found out about the crime. Right now, I could only pray that Jason was right.

“Get out of there bitch or should we go get you?” Attacker number two said.

There was nowhere else to go, so we got out of the lake. By the time we reached the shore, several things happened very fast.

Attacker number three produced a long rope which he was playing with while waiting for us.

Two wolves came out of nowhere and jumped on two of our attackers. Attacker number three tried to help the other two by trying to tie up one of the wolves with the rope, but it back fired him because in the middle of the fight the wolf took a chunk out of his arm. One minute there was too much screaming and growling going on, the next minute it was silent.

Attacker number one took off running and one of the wolves followed him. The other wolf took care of the attacker with the rope; everything was done pretty fast.

The wolves then left; Jason and I were still there, frozen in place. We looked at each other, and then to the now dead bodies in front of us. The two wolves returned, naked and in their human form. There were two of the guards that were lazily sitting under the tree by the U-Haul at Jannalynn’s property.

“Just on time. We’ll take care of the bodies; you get the vampire from the bottom of the lake,” naked werewolf said.

“How did you know?” Jason asked.

“They drove by Fangtasia a couple of times this morning. Then, they have been driving back and forth the highway because they couldn’t figure out which exit we took. We kept tabs on them. We saw them when they attacked you, and here we are,” naked werewolf number two said.

“Do you know them?” I asked.

“They were four stupid humans,” naked werewolf number one said.

“Let’s get this cleaned up before the police shows up,” naked werewolf number two said.

“Thank you,” I said. They nodded and then got busy with the dead bodies. They didn’t bother to put on clothes. If the police showed up, there would be a lot of explaining to do.

I turned around facing the location I assumed the car would be at by now, “we need to get Eric out,” I said facing the lake.

“Or we could leave him there. Right now, he’s safer down there,” Jason said.

“Are you mad?” I asked him.

“Sook, think about it. We get him out and then what? We don’t have a car anymore,” Jason said.

I closed my eyes in defeat. Jason was right and I hated it. I sat down, in the dirty sand, not knowing what else to do.

“We could call Sam,” I suggested.

“He might be out best choice. The people in Hotshot are still working on the kitchen. Let’s find a phone and call Sam,” Jason said.

I stood up and we met one of the werewolves on our way back to the highway. This time, he was dressed.

“Where’re you going?” he asked.

“Do you have a phone I could borrow? We need to call Sam to pick us up,” I said.

“I have a phone and I also can get you a ride. Let me call the guys,” he said. He got his phone out, made a few phone calls, and we had a ride on the way here.

We waited for about ten minutes when one of Alcide’s pack member arrived. He handed over his keys, “bring it back tonight to the ceremony,” he ordered. He then went on to meet with the other guys. Another reason to attend the ceremony, ugh!

We got in the car, and without me saying anything, Jason parked the car close to the shore. He got in the lake, and after a little while, he came out with Eric wrapped with the comforters still. I rushed to open the trunk and he settled Eric safely.

The rest of the drive home was uneventful.

Jason carried Eric all wrapped up in the comforters to the secret spot in the closet. After a long good bye hug he took off in his truck and I jumped in the shower right away. In less than one hour, Eric was going to wake up and I wanted to be presentable for him.

By the time I got out of the shower and got dressed it was about ten minutes for Eric to wake up. I rushed to the kitchen to clean the hot water and spaghetti mess from the floor. I put the mop away when, “great granddaughter, last night you made me proud,” Niall said. I jumped but luckily nothing fell or broke with my reaction.

“Great grandfather,” I went to hug him tight. “Where were you last night? I didn’t see you during the fight.”

“I was there as promised. We stayed in the woods and helped the shifters fight the vampires that were hiding there, ready to kidnap you,” he said.

“It shocked me to learn what Felipe de Castro had in mind for me. I got lucky,” I stated as a matter of fact.

“I wouldn’t have let him take you. I ensure you that,” he said and then he continued, “you enjoyed killing Freyda.”

“Too many weird things happened with her. She tried to escape, but she fell from the sky halfway decomposed which is why I was able to kill her. She didn’t heal fast enough. Did you have anything to do with that?” I asked.

“You did that. You used your magic to manipulate the air around her when she was flying away. Without oxygen, she couldn’t fly or breathe. She suffocated,” he explained.

“How did I do that?” I asked.

“Remember your bloodline comes from the sky fairies,” Niall replied.

“But how did I do that?” I asked again.

Niall looked behind him slightly, “there’s no time for me to explain it, but I promise I will,” he poof right in front of my eyes.

“Care to explain this lover?” Eric asked, standing where Niall stood a second ago. He was soak wet, patches of sand all over his body, and even algae stuck to his hair. “Why do I have a slight headache?”

“Well…”  

 

       

 **Note:** I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I tried to change the tone a little bit to make it funny and well…. Eric suffered the consequences lol 

PS: If you have friends that you think would enjoy this story, then tell them so they can read it too!


	20. Chapter 20

First I want to apologize for taking so long to post the next chapter. I have been trying to organize my time between full time school and a full time job. Here’s the next chapter, and as promised…. It’s HOT.  Lots of lemons…. Enjoy it!  

Disclaimer: I am not the owner of these characters. The original story and the characters belong to Charlaine Harris. I am only borrowing them for a little while.    

 **Chapter 20**  

\-----------------------------

**Sookie’s POV**

 “Care to explain this lover?” Eric asked, standing where Niall stood a second ago. He was soak wet, patches of sand all over his body, and even algae stuck to his hair. “Why do I have a slight headache?”

“Well…” I considered different venues to explain what happened, but I thought it was better not to tell him the whole story. He might not appreciate it.

“I thought if you woke up here, then we could save time and actually have our talk that we have been postponing for far too long. With Sophie Anne back as queen, you will be too busy helping establish the new regime. We’re talking about what… weeks? I won’t wait that long. So, Jason helped me to get you here.”

He stood there, waiting for me to continue. He raised his eyebrow, but since I didn’t say more then he said, “There’s sticky sand in my pockets, my phone is dead because it got wet, and I smell like what humans describe as rotten eggs. What else did Jason helped you with?”

“Uh… on the way here four men attacked us, but Alcide’s guys helped us. You ended up at the bottom of a lake.”

“Yet, you’re clean, and you put my life in danger,” he complained.

“We covered you with thick comforters, so you were safe,” I explained; not sure he would agree with me.

“You owe me,” he stated as a matter of fact.

“I don’t owe you anything!  And don’t get me started on the fact that you agreed to divorced me and marry somebody else!” My tone was no longer soft, full of guilt feelings; the thought of him agreeing to marry Freyda infuriated me.

“You owe me,” he repeated himself and stalked towards me. His serious gaze never left my face. His presence evoked power, fear, and respect. He stopped less than one inch from me. Even though my face was at his chest level, I kept looking up at him. He was intimidating.

He was right about one thing: he reeked. I didn’t perceive our smell when we drove back home, but now that I was clean, his smell stood up. He tilted his head in a threatening manner, and without letting my gaze go, he slightly bent forward, threw me over his shoulder, and took me upstairs. When he put me down in the bathroom, my clean clothes were wet again.

He took off his wet clothes very fast and then proceeded to take off mine. He first started fast, but he slowed down as he progressed while his mouth explored my exposed skin. My body and my mind contradicted each other: one wanted Eric to hurry up and fill me up with his thick erection; the other one wanted him to take his time and explore every inch of my body.

He stopped suddenly and went to turn on the shower. My body protested the second he left. He extended his hand for me to take it which I did without a second thought. As I passed by him, he hugged me tight, and my body shivered at his touch. He rubbed his cold, wet, naked body against mine, and his erection poked my lower back. His hands were wrapped around me, firmly stationed on my breasts which he playfully squeezed, sending erotic signals between my legs.

He pushed us forward until both of us were under the water. His hands slid off my breasts, down my stomach, passed my pubic area, and stopped between my legs. Slowly, his hands moved up my body again. I wanted to curse because I needed him right there, on my most sensitive spot. He was teasing me, and it was cruel.

He moved his hands up and down my body twice until they finally settled between my legs. I split my legs, and that was an open invitation he didn’t refuse. His long finger slid in, exploring my most intimate spot while his index finger rubbed my clitoris mercilessly. Meanwhile, his other hand slid along my body, and went back to my breasts where he played with my hardened nipple. I leaned back against his body while his long erection continued poking my back. The double combo was erotic and hot. My breath sped up; I closed my eyes to let my body enjoy the pleasure I was receiving. Suddenly, his fangs were on my neck; he was drinking my blood while his index finger rubbed my clit harder. He didn’t stop until an orgasm impaled me, and the walls of my uterus tightened around his long finger.

The moment my orgasm ended, he let go my clitoris, bend me forward, and entered me in one long, slick move. I had to hold on to the wet walls to stop me from falling forward. His sudden intrusion stretched my inner walls and almost made me lose balance, but his firm grip kept me in place while I took all of him in.

I took several deep breaths.

 Having sex with Eric in the bathtub where everything was slippery didn’t stop him from going rough on me. He fucked me hard and fast; after a little while, another orgasm took over my body and it weakened me. His orgasm followed right after mine.

He slowed down, but his solid grip didn’t let me go until the last drop had been deposited inside of me. When he was done, he helped me up and then turned me around to face him. He kissed me with all his mighty. Everything about him was passionate. I could feel his desire to devour me; his erection was still going strong.

I knew he was coming for seconds and I was more than happy to comply. However, he surprised me when he broke our kiss.

“We are wasting water,” he said mischievously.

“Fuck the water,” I said. I was too horny to think about my water bill.

“Trust me, there’s going to be plenty of fucking tonight,” he promised me while showing his fangs. He kissed me again softly, and then he stopped to grab the shampoo.

“Let’s get his shower over with because we are going to continue in the bed,” Eric said as he poured shampoo on his hand and then applied it on my already cleaned hair. I was going to say something, but I just let it happen. He massaged my scalp instead of scrubbing it, and it felt really good. He helped me rinse my hair and repeated the same process with the conditioner.

Once he was done with my hair, he shampooed and conditioned his, while I observed his magnificent body complete the tasks. I poured soap on the loofah while he finished washing off the conditioner. I then scrubbed his chest, arms, and abdomen while his gaze never left me.

I grabbed his erection and moved it around playfully as I soaped everything around it. With the water spraying over us, the soap didn’t stay long. I got on my knees to put soap on his legs, but as his erection kept hitting my face, I couldn’t help it, and my mouth took the task of showing him how much it meant to me. I sucked it, licked it, and played with it while Eric’s moans echoed the bathroom.

“Lover, let’s go to your bed or I will fuck you right here again,” Eric said.

I knew his threat was real even though he struggled to voice those words. I looked him in the eyes and gave him a triumphal smile. I loved the power I had over him! 

He turned off the shower, opened the curtain, and exited the bathtub. He then extended his hand to help me get out. When I attempted to grab the towel, in one swift move, he lifted me on his arms and carried me out of the bathroom.

“We need to dry off Eric!” I said laughing.

“Lover, I intend to lick dry your body,” he said as he deposited me on the bed. Without wasting any time, his mouth latched around my nipple and he sucked it with so much hunger that I gasped. He switched to my other nipple while I struggled to catch my breath.

And just like that, an intense fire broke out of control between my legs. He licked his way all the way down there. My heart was about to leave my chest with the expectations of what was coming; Eric has never disappointed me. He had a feast with me. He did so many things at the same time that I couldn’t keep up with what he was doing. He was everywhere, and that was too much for my body to take that it exploded with the most magnificent orgasm which made me scream loud.

By the time the orgasm was over, my legs were shaking, and I could barely breathe. My body was done, but not Eric. He moved up, spread my legs as wide open as they could go, and entered me. All of Eric was inside of me, and it was hot.

He had so much energy!

Something I was not expecting happened, but after a while, another orgasm surprised me. Eric came soon after, and he fell on top of me, tired. The only way I could describe the way I felt was ‘pleasantly dead tired’.

We cuddled for a while without saying anything. I wanted to treasure our moments for as long as I could.

The alarm clock went off and we both startled.

“Oh no,” I said lazily as I turned it off.

“What’s going on lover?”

“I completely forgot to tell you. We need to meet Alcide because tonight is Jannalynn’s trial. We need to be there.”

“Fuck Alcide and his pack. We are too busy here.”

“You have to be there because you were one of the victims,” I explained.

“I am assuming they are doing a trial. So, it will be boring. I am having more fun here.”

“I told Alcide that we were going to be there.”

“You shouldn’t have. I am not done with you. I want to fuck you at length.”

“Eric, we have been having sex for four hours.”

“You must not be enjoying it because you are counting the time,” he accused me.

“Of course I’m enjoying it. My body has felt every bang that you have given me tonight.”

“Are you complaining lover? Am I not giving you enough?”

“Eric! Tomorrow I won’t be able to walk straight.”

“Then I will be in your mind all day,” Eric smiled mischievously.  

I laughed at his statement. He didn’t know the truth of his words. I started getting out of the bed, and accidentally put my hand on his upper leg where I noticed his friend was up and happy again. I moved the blanket out of the way to see it with my own eyes. “How can you have another erection?” I asked him surprised.

“I am not done with you,” he said, and then he threw me back in bed with a long kiss that took my breath away. He went on for another kiss when the alarm clock went off again. He growled angrily, and I used that moment to get out of bed fast.

“I think I clicked the snooze button instead of turning it off,” I explained as I turned it off. “I tell you what,” I continued, “let’s meet Alcide, and then, we come back home to continue having sex.”

“Looks like the dog won tonight,” he said, not happy at all.

“Alcide is expecting us.”

Eric didn’t reply. He got up and went to the other room where he had left a while back a set of clothes inside a bag. I went to my closet and got a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I grabbed a cleaned set of matching underwear; I wanted Eric to see it when we returned home. The Cluviel Dor was there too, and I didn’t know what to do with it. I thought about it for a few minutes, and I decided it was best to be safe than sorry; so, I put it in my pocket. My jeans were tight, but there was still room to have it without anybody noticing it.

We got ready fast, and before we left the room, I held his hand to get his attention. When he looked at me, I pulled him down for a kiss.

“Let’s get this over with fast,” I said after we kissed; he nodded slightly. He was definitely doing this against his will.

When we exited my house, he stopped and turned to me, “where is your car? And whose car is that one?”

“My car is at the bottom of the lake. I need to find a way to get it out of there. This car belongs to a member of Alcide’s pack. He let me borrow it, and I need to return it to him tonight. He will be attending the trial too.”

“Can I borrow your phone? Mine got wet and died,” he said with an accusing tone.

“Of course,” I smiled at him and didn’t reply to his statement.

He walked me to the passenger side and opened the door for me to get in. I guess he was making it clear I wasn’t driving tonight. Maybe he will never let me drive again after the lake experience. He got on the driver’s side and we left. On our way to the trial, Eric called Pam and gave her a list of things to do. She was also coming to the trial to deliver Eric’s car. At least we will have a ride back home after the trial. 

The ride there was not that long since I knew exactly where Jannalynn’s property was. The only problem I was having was that my body was still burning in fire from our long love making session. I was tempted to ask him to return home and forget about the trial, but I chose otherwise.

When we arrived to the property, a member of the pack was guarding the entrance. He opened the gate, and we drove in. Eric’s amused face got my attention. He didn’t look at me, but he smiled as he parked the car.

“Is everything ok Eric?”

“Are you horny lover?” he asked showing me his long fangs.

“I’m having…. problems. Your finger prints are all over down there. Why are you asking me that?”

“I can smell you… you’re wet,” he said with a devilish face.

“Oh no…” I was so embarrassed.

He was amused. He exited the car and proceeded to open my door. Of course, everybody was here: vampires and werewolves.

And all of them turned my way the moment I exited the car. They could smell me too.

Right at that moment, I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me. 

 

  **Note:** I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next chapter will be the trial…. Will everybody be able to concentrate on the trial or will Sookie’s “smell” be too distracting? Stay tuned to find out!  *evil smile*


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: I am not the owner of these characters. The original story and the characters belong to Charlaine Harris. I am only borrowing them for a little while.    

 **Chapter 21**  

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**Sookie’s POV**

We approached the group who was now silently staring at Eric and me. This was so embarrassing. It looked like we were the last ones to arrive. Where we late? I didn’t have my phone, so I couldn’t see the time.  

“Welcome,” Alcide said from the far end corner which made everybody snapped out of it and turned to face him. I must remember to thank him for it. “Now that we’re all here,” Alcide continued, “please follow me.”

And that confirmed my suspicion: we were not only the last ones, but we were also late.

Instead of walking into the house, he actually went around it towards the back. He then continued passed the backyard and into the bushes. We just followed him quietly.

To call this property “remote” was an understatement. Though there was more cleared land around it that there had ever been at my place, it was even more private. No one lived here full time any longer.  

We crossed a large piece of dense overgrown forest area until we reached a meadow which was big enough to fit all of us. There were some lights set up to illuminate the perimeter. Alcide stood in the middle while everybody else circled him.

Eric was right next to me. I noticed people giving me side looks from time to time and I didn’t know if it was because my special smell tonight was making them horny too or angry because a vampire was the reason for my current situation.

 _Just ignore their looks and block any type of communication coming from their brains_ I told myself.

It was interesting to look at the entire scene instead. Tonight, Alcide stood up among his people as much as Niall did among his. Alcide looked like a king; a king in jeans and a T-shirt; a barefoot king. He looked dangerous. The power gathered around him. The air was humming with the magic of the pack.

Good. We needed more tension.

I wondered how were they able to set up the lights in this area that was so far from the house. I wondered if this meadow area was here before or if it had been created for tonight’s trial. I wondered what was going to happen tonight, and I wondered how Sam was handling all of this. I was anxious, so I wondered too much to keep my mind occupied.

I scanned the crowd until I spotted Sam. He was alone, with a large empty space around him.

I felt Eric’s eyes on me, and when I turned to him, he was staring at me without saying a word.

“Do you know what’s going to happen tonight?” I asked him in an attempt to break the silence. Something was just off tonight.

“I don’t know what we’re here to see,” he said. “An execution? A duel? With the wolves, I can’t predict.”

Right when I was about to ask him more questions I spotted Pam walking in our direction. When she got to where we were at, she stood in front of Eric without saying a word for a few seconds, and then produced a set of keys and a cell phone.

“Queen Sophie Anne has been trying to get in touch with you. She has called me three times already wondering about your whereabouts. I told her about Sookie’s text. She needs to meet with her Sheriffs; establish her kingdom again.”

“What did Sookie’s text say?” Eric asked Pam.

“Not to worry. She’s in possession of your body,” Pam said with a devilish smirk.

“Sookie kidnapped me. I can’t escape tonight. You haven’t seen me tonight.”

“Eric overpowered by Sookie. I never thought I would live to witness this moment.”

“I can’t do anything about it. Queen Sophie Anne will hear from me tomorrow.”

“Very well,” Pam replied to him and turned to me, “you smell especially delicious tonight,” she told me showing the tip of her fangs.

Of course she could smell me too!

Eric glared at her and she turned around and left without saying another word.

A sudden silence took my attention away from Pam and back to the trial. Alcide went up to Sam and spoke, and Sam shrugged, and then nodded. He then stepped out to stand by Alcide.

I looked around at the faces of the pack members. There were all restless because of the night and because of the promise of violence in the air. There was going to be bleeding tonight.

Alcide raised an arm, and a figure was led from the house; her hands were bound. It was Jannalynn. I didn’t know where they’d caught up with her, but her face was bruised. She’d put up a fight, which was no surprise at all.

Then I saw Mustapha. He’d blended with the darkness. He was magnificently nude. Warren was in the shadows behind him, huddled in a folding lawn chair. He was too far away for me to get a good look at him.

Mustapha had a sword. _Too many of those in my life these days_ , I thought, feeling Eric’s cold hand tightening on mine.

“We are here to judge tonight,” Alcide said. “We’ve had to judge members all too often lately. The pack has been full of dissension and disloyalty. Tonight I require all of you to renew your oaths, and tonight I say that the penalty for breaking them is death.”

The werewolves drew in breath sharply, collectively, like a single quiet scream. I looked around. Werewolfism manifests itself along with puberty, so none of the faces were younger than early teens, but that was young enough to make their presence shocking.

“After the judgments are rendered tonight, anyone who likes can challenge me on this spot,” Alcide said. His face was savage. “No candidate has announced against me, but if anyone would like to win here and now, without a ceremony, you’re welcome to try single combat. Prepare yourself to fight to the death.”

Everyone was frozen in place now. This was not at all like the packmaster challenge I’d seen before, the one in which Alcide’s father had died. That had been a formal, ceremonial contest. Alcide himself had succeeded to the position when his father’s challenger, Patrick Furnan, had died fighting side by side with Alcide against a common enemy. Packmaster by acclamation, I guess you’d term it. Tonight Alcide was throwing down the gauntlet to every wolf present. It was a big gamble.

“Now for judgment,” Alcide said when he had looked into the face of every pack member.

Jannalynn was pushed forward to land on her knees in the middle of the circle. “Jannalynn hired the assistance of three rogues, which I had turned down for admission into the pack too, to do her bidding. They abducted Warren, the friend of Mustapha, who in turn is a friend-though not a member- of this pack. If he had not been found in time, Warren would have died,” Alcide said in a voice that carried across the area.

Everyone moved in unison, turning to stare at Jannalynn. “Those rogues were incited by Jannalynn Hopper, not only a pack member, but also my enforcer. Jannalynn couldn’t subdue her pride and ambition. She couldn’t wait until she was strong enough to challenge me openly. Instead, she started a campaign of undermining me. She looked for power in the wrong places. She even accepted money from a fairy in return for finding a half-bitch who would try to get Eric Northman arrested for murder. When Eric was too smart to act the way she thought he would, Jannalynn stole into his yard and murdered Kym Rowe herself, so Kym wouldn’t tell the police who’d hired her. Some of you remember running with Oscar, Kym’s father. He’s joined us tonight.”

Kym’s father, Oscar, was skulking behind Alcide. He looked oddly out of place, and I wondered how long had it been since he’d come to a pack meeting. What regrets did Oscar have now about his daughter’s life and death? If he was any king of father, any kind of human being, he had to be thinking about how she’d lost her job, how she’d needed money so badly that she’d agreed to be bait for a vampire.

But maybe I was just projecting. I had to keep my mind in the here and now.

“In addition to Kym’s father, we have Jannalynn’s parents joining us tonight,” Alcide announced and I was in shocked. Jannalynn’s father came forward and stood next to Alcide, opposite to Sam. His long, angry face spoke volumes about his disappointment on his daughter. I had to say that their resemblance was unique. Like father like daughter, at least physically. 

“Jannalynn was willing to sacrifice Were blood to serve her own interests and those of the fae?” Roy said. He was the Were that was dating Palomino, and tonight he seemed to be in charge of Jannalynn. I was pretty sure Alcide had prepped him to ask that.

“She was. She admits it. She has written a confession and mailed it to the Shreveport police station. Now we’re going to ensure it’s taken seriously.”

Alcide dialed a number. His cell phone was on speakerphone. “Detective Ambroselli,” said a recognizable voice.

Alcide held the phone in front of Jannalynn. Her eyes closed for a moment as she was reading herself to step off a cliff. The Were said, “Detective, this is Jannalynn Hopper.”

“Uh-huh? Wait, you’re the bartender at Hair of the Dog, right?”

“Yeah. I have a confession to make.”

“Then come on in, and we’ll sit down,” Ambroselli said cautiously.

“I can’t do that. I’m about to vanish. And I’ve mailed you a letter. But I wanted to tell you, so you can hear it’s my voice. Are you recording this?”

“Yeah, I am now,” Ambroselli said. I could hear a lot of movement on her end.

“I killed Kym Rowe. I came up on her when she was leaving Eric Northman’s house, and I snapped her neck. I’m a werewolf. We’re pretty strong.”

“Why’d you do that?” Ambroselli asked. I could hear someone muttering to her, and I guessed she was getting advice from the other detectives around her.

For a moment, Jannalynn’s face looked blank. She hadn’t thought of a motive, at least not a simple one. Then she said, “Kym stole my wallet from my purse, and when I tracked her down and made her give it back, she disrespected me. I …. Have a bad temper, and she said some stuff that made me sick. I lost it. I have to go now. But I don’t want anyone else blamed for something I did.”

And Alcide hung up. “We’ll hope that will clear Eric. That’s our responsibility,” he said, and nodded at Eric, who nodded back.

Jannalynn made her face hard and looked around, but I noticed she didn’t actually meet anyone’s eyes. Even mine. Except her dad. She stared at him, but didn’t say a word. Her dad’s face was of an angry, broken, humiliated man. Jannalynn had done this to him.

“As it is written in the pack’s law, as of tonight, Jannalynn’s property and all her assets are now mine. Her parents, who are here witnessing tonight, have already handed over her assets to me,” Alcide said.

Oh snap! Now this land belongs to Alcide’s too. I looked at Jannalynn’s father and his disappointment was deep. He nodded to Alcide, accepting the loss. Jannalynn’s mother stood away from Alcide and her husband. She was holding her tears, but they still escaped her puffy eyes. 

Alcide then gestured Roy, who then untied Jannalynn’s hands and she stood to her unimpressive height, rubbing her wrists and stretching.

It was a windy night even though it was still warm. However, out here in the middle of nowhere the wind felt a little bit too cold for my taste. A sudden move drove my attention when Jannalynn looked my way and without hesitation she rushed to attack me.

Several things happened at the same time. First, Eric jumped in front of me and held her back by her neck. His large hand curled around her neck with ease. She attempted to make him let go, but he didn’t. Roy and two other wolves rushed to get her off Eric.

“I’m here fighting for my life and you’re horny over Sam?” Jannalynn yelled as Roy and the two wolves dragged her back to the middle of the circle.

“I’m not with Sam,” I yelled back at her. She wasn’t making sense. She saw Eric right next to me, yet she was still accusing me of being with Sam.

“You’re throwing it right on my face bitch,” Jannalynn continued.

She tried to come at me again, but they forced her to stay in place. “If she tries to touch Sookie one more time, I will kill her and your trial will be over,” Eric warned Alcide, and that pissed Alcide off because, once again, Jannalynn was diminishing his position of power.    

Mustapha stood to face her, both of them surrounded by all of us. Roy and the other two Weres stepped back and left Mustapha and Jannalynn facing each other.

“I will kill you,” he said in his deep voice. He was not even wearing the dark glasses.

Jannalynn switched her attention to him, just as easy as I turn on and off the light bulb in the living room of my house. How could she do that?

“Try, jungle bunny,” Jannalynn said, and held out her hand. She got a sword, too, handed to her by Roy. I was a little surprised; execution seemed more in other than the right to fight. But nobody had asked me.

She was trying to make Mustapha angrier with her insult, but the epithet didn’t have any effect on him whatsoever. Some of the pack looked disgusted. The rest looked like people waiting for a sporting event to begin. I looked up at Eric, and he was in full alert, ready to kill her if she dared to get anywhere near me.

I looked back to Alcide’s direction and Jannalynn’s father looked like a ghost. He stood next to Alcide quietly. His embarrassment was too deep to even care what would happen to her at this point. Alcide was angry, nobody dared to defy his authority tonight and lived to tell the story. Then there was Kym’s dad whose face was a mixture of emotions. Her daughter’s killer was about to die, but that didn’t help with his sense of guilt for not being there for Kym to prevent her death. I wondered if he actually felt guilt, or if it was me trying to humanize him.

And then, there was Sam, who was trying to put an I-don’t-care face, but his anger was noticeable. His face was rigid with the effort of holding in his feelings. Right at that moment Sam looked at me, and I felt his anger as if he was projecting it against me.

I changed my attention back to Mustapha and Jannalynn.   

The two combatants circled each other for a moment, and suddenly Jannalynn executed one of her flying leaps, hoping to come down on top of Mustapha. The lone wolf pivoted, and his sword blocked hers. She went spinning to the ground, but she was up in a second and back on the attack. Mustapha had told me he wasn’t sure he could win a fight with Jannalynn, and for a few seconds she had the advantage. Not only did she hack away at him, but she shrieked, she screamed, she did everything she could to confuse and distract her opponent.

I noticed that she was working gradually closer to the edge of the open area. Closer to Alcide.

She might be a Were, but some intents were so strong I couldn’t miss them.

“She’s after you,” I yelled in warning, and just as the words left my mouth Jannalynn leaped, spun, and came down on Alcide, who leaped aside at the last fraction of a second.

She got her father.

He crumpled to the ground as his blood spurted. Jannalynn paused in shock at having cut her own father, and in that moment, Mustapha grabbed her by the hair, threw her to the ground, and beheaded her. I’d seen beheadings before, but they’re pretty spectacularly horrible.

A horrifying, painful scream echoed the night. Jannalynn’s mother rushed to her husband whose eyes were wide open and desperate. He knew the severity of his wound. I considered asking Eric to give him his blood, but I remembered that it would be an insult to both, the Were and my Vampire. Alcide crouched down by Jannalynn’s mother and reached out to touch him. Alcide then stood up and shock his head; he was gone. Jannalynn’s mother cried loud and hard. Her scream echoed the night. In one night she had lost her daughter and her husband. My heart hurt for her.  

I could barely stand watching the scene that folded in front of my eyes. Her pain was deep; I could only imagine her anger against Jannalynn. The magic in the air got heavier and it made me uncomfortable.

I looked up at Eric, and without saying a word, we walked away from there. We just left. There was nothing else left for Eric and me to do there.

On the way to his car I remembered that I had to return the car that Alcide’s pack member let me borrow, but I didn’t want to go back there to find him. We got in Eric’s car, and on the way out of the property, we stopped by the guard to give him the car keys with a thank you message.  

Tonight had turned out to be an awful night with a tragedy that could had been prevented; only if Jannalynn have had some common sense. Now, she was dead, she killed her own father, her properties were now Alcide’s, and Sam was single again. So much loss. 

We went home in complete silence. I couldn’t stop thinking about what happened there, and by the time we arrived to my house, all the sexual desire had vanished.

 

“We could have saved all of that drama by just staying here all night. Let the wolves do whatever they wanted to do,” Eric said while we lay down in my bed.

“Maybe, I should have listened to you,” I replied. 

“Maybe, I could put you in the mood again,” Eric said mischievously.

“Maybe, this is the best time to have the talk that we have been procrastinating for the longest.”

“There’re many things that we could do with our time.”

“Like talking. We need to talk and you know that,” I stated as a matter of fact.

He nodded, “Let’s talk. Why was Sam staring at you with so much anger?”

“That I don’t have an answer. He has been contradicting himself lately which is confusing me, but that will be a conversation that I’ll have with him.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, first, Sam made me his partner; now, I’m partial owner of Merlottes. Then, he closed Merlottes so that I could hold a meeting there in preparation to the big war against Felipe de Castro. However, he disappeared during the fight after he told me that he was going to be there for me. And then tonight… but I can’t really blame him for tonight because his girlfriend got killed for treason.”

“So I need to compensate him for closing his business.”

“Yes. How do you feel about me being partner with Sam?”

“I’m not sure how I feel about it. I was hoping eventually you were going to join me in Fangtasia.”

“But you were about to divorce me and marry Freyda.”

He took a deep breath and put his hand on the bridge of his nose for a few seconds. “Yes, I was,” he said as he looked me in the eye and continued, “Felipe de Castro hurt Pam. He was going to hurt you. I could not let that happen. You are my weakness. If hurting you means to keep you alive, then I will do it.”

“I can defend myself,” I replied softly.

“Not really. He was a sadistic psychopath with a god complex. You would not have survived.”

I was going to let that sink in for a while. “Things should be different now that Queen Sophie Anne is back.”

“Yes, they will be. What deal did you make with her?”

That answer was going to take some time, so I decided to tell him the entire story to make sure that I won’t forget anything detailing the deal with her. “Of course, I also added that you will be adding terms to the deal for both of us.”

“She agreed to all of that without hesitation?” Eric asked cautiously.

“Yes, she did.”

“So your deal was an open deal where we can add things to it and she was ok with it?”

“Yes. Why are you suspicious?” I asked him.

“Because that type of deal is too dangerous to make. She risked too much by allowing me to add terms to the contract. Something does not sound right.”

Suddenly things weren’t as clear as I thought. “We need to be careful,” I thought out loud.

“Yes,” Eric replied. He remained silent for an entire minute and then he continued, “How is she going to give you the 200 acres of land right next to Fangtasia? How is she going to get that amount of money? What’s in it for her?”

“At that moment I didn’t care where she got the money from. That’s her problem. But now that you mentioned it, I realize that I should’ve been more careful stipulating my demands.”

“It’s done now. We need to be careful now. Wait to see what will be her next move. Maybe she is eyeing Oklahoma in return,” Eric said.

“What’s going to happen to Oklahoma?” I had to ask since I killed their Queen.

“In my one-thousand years I never heard of a non-vampire kill a vampire King or Queen. I do not know what is going to happen. I know this, vampires will not allow a non-vampire to be their Queen.”

I didn’t like the sound of that. Time to change topics. “What about us?” I asked.

“You are still my wife, but because of Oklahoma, maybe you might want to consider becoming a vampire.” I was about to say a lot of things to that statement when he continued, “Before you argue, I already know how you feel about it, but now things are about to change. There could be powers above me and Queen Sophie Anne that will want you dead.”

His statement shocked me to the core. “Like who?” I asked, scared of the answer.

“We need to continue this conversation at a later day. Sunrise is fast approaching. Tomorrow I must return to Fangtasia to help our new Queen establish her kingdom before somebody else takes advantage and tries to do another take over.”

He stood up, left the room abruptly, and then returned a few seconds later with my cell phone on hand. He gave it to me following a kiss that only Eric Northman knows how to give, and then he rushed to get in the closet in the other room. I got out of bed and went to the window; the first rays of sunlight were showing in the horizon. A sense of loneliness followed knowing that Eric was now dead to the world. I went back to bed to join him in my deep sleep. Hopefully I’ll dream good things with Eric and our future together.

 

 **Note:** I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you for waiting for this chapter! For those of you that are wondering why was Sookie feeling so uncomfortable with the magic in the area… remember she had the cluviel dor in her pocket? Well, Sookie’s anxiety was stirring the magic in it. The magic is waiting for Sookie to use it. The question is: what will she use it on!    

      


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I am not the owner of these characters. The original story and the characters belong to Charlaine Harris. I am only borrowing them for a little while.    

 **Chapter 22**  

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An internal battle woke me up; my brain said I had to get up and get ready to work, but my body wanted to sleep a little bit longer. It was just after noon when I dragged my body out of bed, but not without difficulty. My body was sore, pleasantly sore, but still sore.

I hit a wall of rotten eggs smell mixed with who knew what else the moment I entered my bathroom, and my eyes went straight to the floor where Eric’s wet clothes laid. I would’ve taken them straight to the washer machine, but I really had to use the restroom. As soon as I was done, I grabbed the clothes with the tip of my fingers and rushed to wash them.

I really wanted to take the day off and go back to sleep, but I couldn’t. I didn’t want Sam to think that now that I was part owner of Merlottes I was going to take advantage of him. After what Jannalynn did, it wouldn’t surprise me if Sam had developed trust issues.

I set up the coffee maker and then went to take a shower. The smell was horrible, so I opened the small window to air the bathroom. I took a quick shower and by the time I got dressed, the bathroom smell was much better. So, I closed the small window, but now my room was unusually cold. I changed into long pants, and by the time I finished fixing my pony tail, I noticed that something was on my pillow. I turned my head slowly, looking for the delivery source, but I was alone in my bedroom.

My heart pounded so hard that I thought it was going to come out of my chest. My legs shook as I slowly approached my bed. It was a white envelop which had been delivered while I was in the shower. It couldn’t be a vampire because it was daytime. It had to be a shifter or a fairy. I grabbed the envelope with shaking hands and opened it.

The message was written with a fancy handwriting on a paper material that I’d never seen before. The texture was so soft that I was scared it would disintegrate on my hands.

            Dear Great Granddaughter,

                Danger is coming your way. Please be careful.

                Love,

                Niall   

How did he deliver this letter? Was he just here or did he send somebody to deliver it? What danger was he talking about? I wished his message was more specific than this.

“Eric!” I said out loud as I put the letter on my bed and rushed to his hiding spot in the other room.

Luckily, the room looked untouched. The items from the closet were placed by the door and the comforters that I used to cover Eric yesterday were carelessly thrown on the floor.

And they reeked too.

I replaced all the items back inside the closet to give the impression that nothing was underneath the floor and took the comforters to the washer machine. The load that I had previously set up was done, so I put the comforters on the floor and got the now clean clothes into the dryer. A distinctive metal, almost musical sound broke the silence of my house. I looked around, but didn’t see anything until I spotted it on the far end corner:  it was the Cluvier dor.

“Oh no!” I whispered as I rushed to get it. I had left it I the pockets of my pants that I had just washed with Eric’s clothes.

“Did I damage it?” I talked to myself as I inspected it. It looked as if nothing happened, but _what about inside?_ I thought.  

I will have to ask Great Grandfather about this. He would know. I fixed a cup of coffee and was enjoying it on my way upstairs, when there was a knock on the front door. I stopped, frozen in place. My blood pressure went down fast as I remembered Great Grandfather’s message. Would danger knock at my door?

Another knock followed.

I put the Cluvier dor in my pants pocket and went to the door as quiet as I could. I closed my eyes and lowered the walls in my brain.

My visitor was human, a man who was too happy to be here. He was too excited for the big payout that he was going to receive after this delivery. He wanted to replace the stove in his house and get a new set of tires for his SUV. He wondered if he was going to have some money left to take his coworker out whom he had a crush on.

And there was a name that I was very familiar with: Eric Northman.

I opened the door, and sure enough, the man in front of me smiled from ear to ear.

“Good afternoon, how may I help you?” I asked prompting him to talk while I kept track of his thoughts.

“Are you Miss Stackhouse?” he asked.

“I sure am,” I said smiling.

“I was instructed to deliver this to you. Mr. Northman was very specific that I had to be here at this time to give you this in person,” the man held a set of keys on the air, showing it to me.

“What’s that for?” I asked.

“You are the new owner of this brand new SUV. Mr. Northman specifically requested to be white. It’s fully loaded. I’m here to show you all the features that it has and to make sure that it fulfills your expectations. If there’s something that you don’t like, we can change it or add it.”

This was too much for me. I really wanted to return it because first, I couldn’t afford the car payments which I could only guess the astronomical amount, and second, this SUV was way out of my league. However, the man’s thoughts told me that he would lose the payout if I wasn’t fully satisfied. Leave it to Eric Northman to set up such stipulations… or was this Pam’s idea? I just couldn’t destroy this man’s plans.

“Thank you! I wished I’d the time to learn all the features that it has, but to be honest, I’m about to be late to work. How about you give me your business card and if I have a question, then I’ll call you.”

“Of course,” he said as he produced his business card out of his wallet. “Please, feel free to call with any question you may have. I’m here to make sure that you’re satisfied with our product,” he said.

After the normal pleasantries, he left in a second car that had been waiting for him. I really didn’t have time to check the SUV, or to even verify the car payments. I had to hurry up and go to Merlottes.

“Eric Northman, we’ll talk about this tonight,” I said to the empty house. Eric was dead to the world at the moment, but it felt good to threaten him even if he couldn’t hear me.

I went upstairs drinking my coffee, which was no longer hot, to get Niall’s letter. I looked on my bed and it was gone. The only thing left in its place was a little pile of dust. Maybe that was my only chance to get in touch with my Great Grandfather, and now I’ll have to wait until I saw him again.

I went on to dust away the remnants off my bed when I noticed the dust glowing. The magic in it looked so pretty. Then, something occurred to me and I grabbed some dust and slightly rubbed it between both hands. A sweet smell came from it, followed by a glowing light. The light began to subdue and an empty piece of paper rested on my hands. This was fascinating.

“I need a pen!” I told myself out loud as I opened my night stand drawer looking for one; I found it really fast. I laid the paper on the night stand to write the message to my Great Grandfather when I noticed that something was written on it.

I need a pen! It said. The exact same words I had just said out loud.

I grabbed the piece of paper again and said “delete that” and the words disappeared right in front of my eyes. Amazing!

I thought for a full minute what to say to Niall, but every thought included the word Cluvier dor which wasn’t good. I finally settled for something simple,

Dear Great Grandfather,

I need to speak to you. It’s not urgent, but it’s important.

Love,

Sookie

 I put the letter on my bed and went to open the small window in the bathroom. I didn’t know if it had anything to do with it, but I wanted to be safe than sorry. When I went back to my bedroom, the letter was gone. Now, I just hoped that it was going to work out.

I closed the window again and rushed out of the house. I was seriously running late to work.

I had no other choice than to drive the new car to Merlottes, but I had to admit it, it was so smooth that it felt as if I was driving over clouds.

 

  **Note:** Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! This weekend we’ll celebrate New Year’s, so please be safe. And whatever you do, make sure that you start the New Year doing something that you love!   

 **Note 2** :  I have been debating about different ideas that I have for this story. I have reached a point where I have two choices:  1) Plan A: Find a way to finish this story with the HEA that you guys are waiting for. It might take me almost 10 more chapters to be done. 2) Plan B: I have several ideas to continue this story which could add another 25 chapters (or more) which would include adding between 4 - 5 new characters (3 vampires and 2 humans). These new characters would join the adventures of our beloved characters. Here, Sookie would continue exploring her future next to Eric and our Viking will face new threats and dangers. Never a dull moment! 

Which one would you like to see happening: Plan A or Plan B?  Would adding new conflicts discourage you from continuing reading the story? (Hint: this plan is way beyond the book series).


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I am not the owner of these characters. The original story and the characters belong to Charlaine Harris. I am only borrowing them for a little while.    

 

Before I start with the chapter, I want to thank you for the awesome responses. I received many messages via public comments and pm, and the unanimous request was for plan B….. So Plan B it is!! 

To answer the most common question: would there be a HEA?  Well of course!  No matter what, this story is about Sookie and Eric J 

I will be posting chapters here a little bit slower while I work on the extended outline. I promise you this:  it will be an amazing ride!  

 **Chapter 23**  

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Merlott’s parking lot was almost empty with the lunch crowd gone by now. As a matter of fact, there were two cars in the parking lot; one of them was Jason’s truck and I didn’t recognize the other one. I parked near the back corner, so that tonight’s customers won’t get a chance to slam their doors on my new car. I was planning on returning it to the dealership after I talked to Eric tonight.

I considered leaving the Cluvier dor hidden in the car, but I couldn’t bring myself to trust it away from me, so I left it in my pocket. I got out of the car and I did what I have never done before: locked the car and set up the alarm.

I walked towards the back entrance to Merlottes when the owner of the unknown car exited through the front door. I stopped to observe her. She was young, maybe mid-twenties with the most beautiful, long, brunette hair that moved as the wind blew through it. She was tall and skinny with just the right curves to turn men’s heads to her direction. Not that it was difficult to get Bon Temp’s men to do that anyway.

I didn’t know why, but her presence intrigued me, and my curiosity sky rocketed when I tried to read her mind. All I found was complete silence. Not even the tiniest of sound came from her brain. What shocked me the most was not the silence, but the fact that she stopped walking and looked in my direction. She stared at me for a couple of seconds and then continued walking, got in her car, and left.

She was not human and definitely not a vampire as it was the middle of the afternoon. Sam’s and Alcide’s brains projected some waves that sometimes I could read, but that woman…. It was emptiness.

My heart skipped a beat and I held my breath the moment I remembered Niall’s message. I stood there, not knowing whether I should follow her, or wait here to see if she would return and attack me, or go inside Merlottes where I knew Sam would help me in case I needed it.  

I waited there, frozen in place, but nothing happened. Eventually, I snapped out of it and went inside Merlottes; hoping for the best.

I set up my purse in the usual locker, and went to the dining area to see if Jason was still here.

“Jason,” I called him as he was about to leave Merlottes.

“Sookie, I’ve been waiting for you. Damn Sook, when did you get a new ride?”

“I didn’t. Eric did.”

“He’s taking good care of you. That’s good. It’s the least he can do after what you did for him.”

“I didn’t do it expecting for him to pay me back. Besides, I’m sure the monthly payments would be twice more than my entire paycheck.”

“You told us that he’s your husband. Let the man take care of you as it should be.”

“I don’t need a man to pay for me.”

“It’s not paying for you. It’s to help you. That’s what a relationship is about.”

“Where did you get all of that?” I asked in shock.

“Sook, that’s how Michelle and I are making it work. We help each other.”

Food for thought. I wanted to say something back, but I didn’t have anything to say. After all, I was an amateur when it came to relationships.

Before Eric, Bill had been my only relationship and I didn’t think that would be a good example to follow. Bill didn’t help me, but he paid handsomely to his lost and later found family, The Belleflour. It didn’t feel good knowing what he was doing for them and what he wasn’t doing for me. And here I was, Eric doing the complete opposite.

“Listen Sook, I wanted to talk to you about the wedding plans, but it’s too late and gotta go back to work. I’ll stop by here again after I get off work.”

I nodded and he left right away. Jason had too many flaws, but he sure was very responsible at work.

With Jason gone, Merlottes was officially empty until the diner crowd showed up. Meanwhile, it was time to get everything straightened out to have it ready for the new crowd.  Since the two new employees were cleaning up their tables, I decided to find Sam; we had several things to talk about.

Of course I found him in his office, working on the accounting books.

“Can we talk?” I asked as I entered his office.

“Sure, but I must warn you that today is not a good day for me.”

I wanted to ask _how’s that_ because, really, Jannalynn wasn’t important, but I had to respect that she was important for him.

“I can only imagine what you’re going through and more than likely this is bad timing, but it seems it will never be the right time. First, I want to say thank you for the partnership. I wasn’t expecting that and it was a great surprise.” The moment the words left my mouth, I went ahead and hugged him tight and kissed him on the cheek.

“You’re welcome,” he said as he smiled; suddenly I started getting sexual messages from him. That’s when I realized I had let my guard down, and my brain was receiving his messages. I quickly put up my guard again and step back cautiously. Sam recognized his mistake and changed his mood.

“Sam, what’s going on?” I asked looking him to the eye.

“I’m angry. You slipped away from me and I didn’t realize it until it was too late.”

“We talked about this some time ago. It’s a topic I wouldn’t like to revisit.”

“You asked.”

“I did because I want us to go back to the way things were before it changed. You will eventually find someone that deserves you the same way I found Eric and that’s not going to change.”

“I realize that now, more than ever.”

“What do you mean?”

“The moment I saw you kill the Queen of Oklahoma, I knew right then, that I lost you permanently. Be that you turning into a vampire or getting killed by one. Either way, I lost you.”

“First, you can’t lose what you never had. Besides, I’m not going to be a vampire and hopefully I won’t get killed by one. I see that what happened with Jannalynn scarred you, but you shouldn’t be such a pessimist.”   

“I’m being realistic. Do you seriously think that the vampires of Oklahoma will be ok with you killing their Queen? You just humiliated them! Vampires don’t react well when their pride is hurt.”

This was the second time I heard the same thing. Eric said something similar last night. The truth was that I didn’t plan anything pass the death of Freyda and I could care less about Oklahoma. For all I cared, they could hold an election tonight and get a new King or Queen. But one thing I didn’t expect was to deal with a group of vampires whose feelings have been hurt.

“I’ll cross that bridge when I get there,” I replied. Really, that was all I could do about it.

“I wished I could get back in time. I wouldn’t have agreed to help you host the fight. I should have let Eric drown in his own dirt and away from here.”

“You’re missing something… I would have done it with or without you. Since we aren’t going to agree on this, it’s best we leave this topic alone. I’m going to do our monthly inventory. Alone.”

 I grabbed the paperwork from the file cabinet and a coat that we had stored for whoever needed it and left his office. While the storage room was just two doors down the hall, it was two doors away from him. Right now, I wanted space and silence. Sam’s attitude was somewhat disturbing. I was expecting him to be hurting over Jannalynn’s death, but instead, it was totally opposite. Yes, I definitely needed space and silence.

I decided to start with the largest freezer that was located all the way to the corner of the room, but by the time I made my way to the second freezer, my fingers were starting to feel numb. The disorganization in the freezers drove me crazy, so I got all the meat out and organized it while I kept track of the inventory. I still had one more freezer to go, two refrigerators, and the shelves, but I was considering taking a break to literally stand outside under the sun to warm up.

I looked at my watch and after careful consideration, I decided to go for it and enjoy the last hour of sunlight left.

I set up the paperwork aside, waiting for my return and exited the storage room.

A loud gunfire startled me. I stayed quiet, not sure whether I heard it right. Two seconds later screams followed. I recognized the voices… they were the two new employees’.   

I rushed to the front and found a scene that never in my life I thought I would see. My first instinct was to follow the source of the screaming, and there they were, both employees screaming their lungs out near the door entrance to the dining area. I followed their line of sight and it directed me to where everything was happening.

Sam was bleeding on the floor with a bullet wound on his chest. He struggled to breathe with blood pouring out of his mouth and the puddle of blood around him was fast stretching under a table. I thought that Sam was trying to say something, but he couldn’t make a sound other then the clogged sound as he choked on his own blood.

Jannalynn’s mom was a couple of tables away, holding a gun that I bet that the reason for Sam’s wound. Right behind her was Alcide who was fast approaching her…. quietly.

Time froze, and with it, so my heart. Every muscle in my body was rigid. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. My heart just stopped beating.

“You destroyed my family,” Jannalynn’s mom shouted. Her hands were still shaky from the blast of the weapon.

The two employees continued screaming.

Sam gasped for oxygen while his face turned blue.

Alcide was already about two steps away from Jannalynn’s mom. If she looked behind her, then she would bust Alcide and probably shoot him too.

I still couldn’t move. I had zero control over my body.

“I lost it all because of you,” Jannalynn’s mom continued shouting.

The two employees switched to crying. A cry that carried their pain mixed with panic.

Sam stopped gasping. The puddle of his blood on the floor had doubled in size.

Alcide grabbed Jannalynn’s mom from behind and put his hand behind her head in a weird way and a bone cracking sound followed. Her body went limb. He had broken her neck.

The two employees sobbed and went on their knees.

Sam’s body went limb. His eyes were still open, but there was no life in them anymore. They were empty.

A scream of pain came out of my chest. My heart hurt so much that I thought this was going to be it for me too. My legs weakened and could no longer support my body. I dropped on my knees, screaming, crying. I starred at Sam’s body, waiting for him to return to us. He was a shifter, so he could heal. He needed to come back! 

“NO!” I yelled deep in pain. I couldn’t lose Sam.

Not today.

Not like this.

Alcide was by my side immediately. He held me in his arms and I let it happen. I cried on his shoulder desperately. I clung to him as if my life depended of it.

I needed his strength.  I was broken.

 

 

  **Note:** Nope, I won’t give you any hints about the mysterious woman! *evil smile*  


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